


The Violin That Started it All

by Loving_Healer



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Fanfic, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Heroes of Olympus, Homophobia, Love, M/M, Nico di Angelo - Freeform, Past Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Percico - Freeform, Physical Abuse, Romance, Smut, i swear this story is happy, minor luke castellan/annabeth chase - Freeform, minor silena beauregard/beckendorf, percy jackson - Freeform, pernico - Freeform, the violin that started it all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-20 11:14:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 48
Words: 112,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11919723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loving_Healer/pseuds/Loving_Healer
Summary: [[Completed]] [[High School AU]] [[Percico]]Nico di Angelo has the worst life he can ever imagine; at school and at home. But, when he's playing his violin under a tree one day in a nearby park, he comes face to face with a certain someone: his crush, Percy Jackson. His whole life turns completely around for him, but how?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> GUESS WHO FINALLY JOINED THE AO3 GANG! I actually don't know why I didn't make an AO3 years ago...
> 
> I wrote this story when I was 14??? Remember that... 
> 
> This story is also has been posted on Wattpad and Fanfiction.net for like YEARS so you've probably already read this fanfic... Just saying...

My name? Right, it's Nico-Nico di Angelo, to be more specific. I live in Manhattan-one of the five boroughs of New York City. But, I was born in Maine. I'm fifteen years old, and I can't say I'm the greatest guy. Because, to be honest, I really am not. I hate my life, I really do. I'm surprised my father still sends me to school since he hates me so much now. It all happened because my sister and my mother died from this terrible car accident-or, truck accident-because a truck driver got drunk. I mean, seriously? Can you be any more stupid?

Anyway, I only live with my father now. After my mother, Maria, and my sister, Bianca, died, we moved to Manhattan. The reason? I don't know. But, ever since then, my father has treated me horribly. Every subsequent day, he's called me a failure and abuses me whenever I get home from school. What did you expect me to do, Father? Stop the truck driver from becoming drunk? It wasn't my fault; you can't blame me for something that I wasn't a part of-or even  _there_  for.

Well, since I hate my life so much, why don't I ever suicide? I don't have friends, I get beaten up at school because I'm gay, my whole family is dead except for my father who hates my guts, and the only talents I have is being smart, and playing the violin. Otherwise, I suck at just about everything. I don't look "hot", and I'm horrible at sports, especially since bullies at school and my father beat me up so much.

So, why don't I ever think of suiciding, cutting, taking drugs, smoking, et cetera? Well, it's simple: I think it's stupid. Doing those things would mean that I gave up on life, which I didn't. It would make me a coward if I did those things because of my life. I mean, sure doing those things (not counting suicide) will give you comfort, but it'll just make my health worse than it already is. Plus, my life may have the smallest, one percent chance of getting better. I mean, at least it's not zero percent.

Also: I'm fifteen, and still a virgin. Though, I don't really care about it. I never thought it was "mandatory" to lose your virginity by the time you're fourteen. I'm not planning on getting married to anyone or anything. I'm a nobody at school. No one really noticed me. That's why so many people bump into me, but the time they want to apologize to me, I'm already walking away from them. I don't need any sympathy from some strangers anyway. Sure, it shows kindness and manners, but I go through things way worse than them. I'll take sympathy from someone who has a worse life than me; if it's possible to find someone like that.

But, all of this was true. Why is it past tense, you ask? Well, that's because it's different now. My father is now dead. I live with my boyfriend, Percy Jackson, who happened to take my virginity. I live with Percy's mother and father, Sally and Paul Blofis, and Percy's younger brother, Tyson Jackson. I get a lot of attention at school, and all the people that used to bully me pretty much worship the ground I walk. I find it hilarious how this all happened. Apparently, that one percent of my life getting better happened, and now look where I got myself.

So, if you're reading this and you think your life is horrible, read mine, and see whether you look at your life from a different angle now. A better angle, to be more precise.

If you think your life is horrible because of you don't "fit in", then I'm sorry to say, but that's just stupid. You don't need to dress like the others or have Iphones like everyone else. It doesn't matter. As long as you have friends and a family that support you, then you're fine. If you get bullied, tell your parents right away.

Why didn't I tell my parents? Because I only have one-a father that hates my life and doesn't care what happens to me. I'm surprised he hasn't disowned me yet. Well, he's dead now, so I guess it doesn't matter anymore.

So, let me tell you my story. A story where my life took a turn. A huge turn. If I were to make an analogy about my life and driving, I'd say my life took a U-turn. A very interesting U-turn. The road was full of ups and downs, but I'd say the result was worth it. It was great, so, don't think your life is over. Because, it never will be, until you become old.  _That's_  when it's over.

But if you're not, don't give up. Just let your life go by, and soon, you'll find someone to spend the rest of your life with like me. You'll find the right friends for you. The problems will all melt away, and the only thing left is happiness. It'll happen, trust me. I didn't think it would happen to me. I have a  _lot_  of bad luck and trust me when I say I do because it's true. So, keep your head held high and go through every day, no matter how painful. Because, trust me, one day you'll wake up, and one of the many problems you have are gone. They'll disappear with each subsequent day, one by one. If it happened to me, it can happen to you.

Now, let me tell you where my story began. Don't worry, it'll get better, for you and me.


	2. Part 1) Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is actually the most classic high school AU of Percico ever. It probably sounds exactly the same as every other Percico high school AU. Oops?

I woke up with this searing pain throughout my chest, and I felt like I was kicked in the crotch area or whatnot. My head was throbbing like I had a headache, even though I was just recently sleeping the night away. Oh right, my father beat me up again. So, I wasn’t imagining all this pain surging throughout my body. Great. Just what I needed. I’m surprised I’m not immune to pain yet.  _Yet_.

My slowly got up, cursing under my breath because of it. My father was most likely sleeping; he doesn’t work, I have to. I work at the library, since I love reading so much (crazy, right? Or is it just me?). I get paid a decent amount from there, since my boss takes pity on me. Which is something I do not need either.

At least my legs don’t hurt, so I could walk to school. But, I should probably sneak out so I don’t wake up my father. I’ve never tried waking him up in the morning, but I knew it wouldn’t be very pretty.

So, as quietly and as best as I could without screaming my lungs off from all the pain, I went to the bathroom and attempted to shut the door so quietly, I was afraid I would be there for an hour. After I (finally) shut the door, I did what normal people did—minus taking pain relieving pills, just so I could subside the pain during school. I didn’t (never) have any time to make breakfast, so I slipped through the half-open door and set my destination to my school: Thunderway High School.

* * *

 

I was a freshman at Thunderway High. High school never took such a toll on me, since I was pretty smart. I was a fast learner, and I always got good grades. I was pretty fortunate this happened to me, since I have to deal so much with other things [cough, Father, cough, bullies, cough]. Anyway, like I said before, I was a nobody. The only people that actually noticed me were the teachers, principals, et cetera. None of the students ever paid any attention to me.

I had a crush on a guy named Percy Jackson though. He was part of the football team, but the team captain was another guy named Jason Grace. Jason Grace was pretty nice, though, I’ve never talked to him. I didn’t think he wanted to talk to a guy like me anyway. He had blonde hair that was styled in the front with gel so it looked like a small triangle (even if I was smart, I hated school probably as much as you do). He really liked to wear purple colored T-shirts, but I wasn’t sure if it was his favorite color or something. He had electric blue eyes and a small scar on his lip. He had an older sister named Thalia Grace, but she was a senior. Jason Grace was a junior.

Percy Jackson, my crush. He was also a junior. He had black, windswept hair like he standing on a windy beach for hours trying to keep his hair that way. He had stunning emerald green eyes, and perfectly tanned skin. He always had a smile plastered on his face; I had never seen him mad, sad, depressed, et cetera. He always wore either an orange T-shirt or blue, but I can tell his favorite color was blue, since he wore that more often. What? I wasn’t a stalker for knowing what colors he wore more. Of course not. He had a girlfriend named Annabeth Chase, and let me just tell you, I was pretty jealous.

Annabeth Chase is what you may consider as an Honors student. She always had the top grades in her classes, and I only know that because I hear it around school all the time, so she was pretty smart. Probably even smarter than me. She had curly blonde hair that was always tied back into a tight ponytail. She usually wore shorts and orange T-shirts that usually matched with Percy’s. She was very social, so she had many friends.

Jason, Percy, and Annabeth were considered the “popular kids”, along with a few others. If I would name the others, they would be Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila-Ramirez Arellano (don’t ask how I remember her whole last name), Malcolm Chase, Kayla Solace, Will Solace, Katie Gardner, Miranda Gardiner, Charles Beckendorf, Butch Iris, Silena Beauregard, Jake Mason, and Michael Yew.  

There was a separate group of popular kids, but these were a lot meaner, and there were less of them: Luke Castellan, Octavian Castellan, Drew Tanaka, Clarisse la Rue, Ethan Nakamura, Chris Rodriguez, Alabaster Torrington, Pollux Nysus, Castor Nysus, Otrera Amazon, Leroy Dan, and Victoria la Rue. These were the majority of the guys that beat me up. Some of the people in this group were a lot nicer like they were from Jason’s group—like Alabastor, Ethan, and Chris—but most of their friends are in this group.

Most of the people in the nicer group became popular because of their connections. Leo has always been best friends since Jason since elementary school. Kayla and Will were siblings, and so were Malcolm and Annabeth. Will and Michael were also best friends since elementary school, and most of them were dating each other. Annabeth and Percy were (unfortunately) dating; Hazel, Frank and Leo were dating (threesomes); Charles, who prefers to be called by his surname, and Silena were dating; Will and Jake were dating; and Piper and Jason were dating.

Wow, that was a lot of explaining.

Anyway, I walked down the hallway towards my locker, trying very carefully to not bump into anyone, or it would just trigger all the pain in my chest, head, and crotch again. God, why wasn’t I immune to pain yet? I was still waiting for that day to come.     

I hastily opened my locker, using the locker combination 30-10-4, and grabbed the necessary items I needed for my first class: Biology. I hated that class. Well, actually, I hated  _every_  class. But, that was pretty irrelevant at the moment.

I rushed over to the biology class: room twenty-five. It seemed so far from where my locker was, which I absolutely hated. It happened  _every single fucking morning_. How much bad luck was going to happen to me?

Well, I had Biology, Geometry, Spanish Two, English, Orchestra, and Physical Education (P.E.). Not counting Snack, Lunch, or Tutorial. I had a  _very_  long day ahead of me.

 I was just glad the people that bullied me were older, so they were in a different grade, which meant they didn’t have the same classes I had. So, I could go through my classes without having to worry about coming into contact with them. The only problem at school was that I had the chance of seeing them in the hallway on the way to my other classes. Usually when it happened, they would beat me up, and it resulted in a terrible and painful walk to my class, and me being late to my class. The teachers always eyed me suspiciously, like I was staying after the bell to sell drugs or something. I mean, seriously? What kind of character did people think I was?

I sighed and shouldered my bag. I shut my locker and continued down the road towards room twenty-five, my Biology class.

* * *

 

After school, finally, I decided to go to the park. In my free time, when I didn’t have to work, I would play my violin at the park. I would  _never_  play at home; my father always yelled at me about how loud I was. Were you listening to anything in particular, Father? No, I didn’t think so, so why did it matter that you heard my violin? God! If I only I could tell all of these retorts to him. But no, I would just get beaten up all over again! My hatred for Father has grown ever since my mother and Bianca died. If only they were still here with me, maybe I wouldn’t have to suffer like this so much.

The park was nearby my house. My father never cared when I came home and when I left; as long as I didn’t wake him up from his slumber, I was fine. If I was ever in my father’s presence, he would beat me up. You know, I sometimes wonder why I stay at my house when my father is still there. Probably because I didn’t have anywhere else to stay. I mean, I didn’t have any friends to stay with. So, I was just stuck with my father.

I arrived at the park: Miles Square Park. It was a pretty large park, with lots of grass and many trees. The ground was never flat. There were many various hills, and a narrow river ran throughout the park. It all ended at a very large lake that inhabited both ducks and swans. A playground sat in the middle of the park, and there were many benches set around, and many wooden tables, benches, and barbeques for others if they wanted to host a party here. A light tan sidewalk wound all throughout the park, where people jogged, bicycled, scootered, skateboarded, hiked, et cetera. It was such a beautiful park. But, there was this one place I always hung out at.

It was a little tree all the way in the corner of the park. I was never used to people praising me, so I never liked to play my violin in front of others. It was kind of awkward for me, but that was how I was. I also loved the little tree; it reminded me of…me. It was so frail and weak like it could snap at any moment, yet it still continued to grow. It was a strong tree, at heart…if trees…had hearts.

I carefully sat down, muttering under my breath once more because the pain relieving medicine wore off and the pain came back. I set my black violin case down next to me, and unzipped it all the way, revealing my beautifully polished black violin. I would describe it, but I’m not sure you guys would know the parts of the violin, so I won’t. It’d sound as if I were talking some other language other than English.

I took out the bow, and ran the horsestring of the bow on the strings of my violin, creating a sound that I’ve been in love with for so long. I started to play the violin after my mother died. She was in love with the piano and the violin, but I favored the violin more. Bianca favored the piano more. So, my mother gave us little lessons here and there, but it was for fun. We were never serious about playing. But, when my mother and Bianca died, I started to play the violin. It was just a memory about my mother, so I played the violin.

Since it reminded me of my mother and Bianca so much, and could only play sad and depressing songs. I played them at the top of my head. I would think of one note on the violin, and then another one would play in my head, and so on, until it created a beautiful piece of music. That’s how I played the violin in my free time. I loved it, and it was probably the only thing that could’ve ever made me smile.

I soon played. It was a deep, rich melody. Not as deep and low as the cello, but to me it was just right. The notes flowed together like Beethoven conducted it, though not as good and professional as him. I moved my arm in a rhythmic patter, back and forth, back and forth. I hoped no one was watching me; I’d feel pretty self-conscience.

I didn’t even realize I closed my eyes. It happened all the time, because the memories that took place between Bianca, my mother, and me played throughout my head, and closing my eyes made it clearer, more  _real_. 

The last time I ever saw them was when I was ten, back in Maine. It was a cloudy day, but no really  _bad_  weather. My father was keeping me at home, while my mother and Bianca went out to go shopping together. I was watching television when my father received a phone call. He threw me into the car afterwards (literally), and he drove us straight to the hospital. It was that day when my mother passed away, and the day after Bianca passed away. Mother had been trying to protect Bianca, so she received the most damaged to her body. But, if you haven’t seen a truck, trucks are pretty big. And, this one was a delivery truck for some company. So, Bianca passed as well, but a little later than my mother. My father was so furious and enraged that day, I was just depressed and sorrowful. I cried my eyes out in the hospital, in the car, and at home. Tears ran tracks down my face as I attended their funeral. My eyes twinkled with tears as we packed and moved to New York. I still remember the day my mother and Bianca died. I would play them their own song that I wrote and memorized myself, in honor for them. January twenty-third was my mother’s death, and January twenty-fourth was Bianca’s death. Sometimes, I hated to think about their deaths so much, because it hurt my heart so much, and I would cry my eyes out for hours. Mostly whenever it happened at home, I would try to be as silent as I can, so my father wouldn’t burst into the room and tell me to shut up. But, fate had their deaths happen, and I couldn’t do anything about the past anymore. It was just how life was.

I raised the bow off the thin strings of my violin gently and softly, so I didn’t do any damage to the strings, and someone’s voice startled me so much, I almost jumped.

“That was such beautiful music you just played, by the way.”

I abruptly stood up and whipped my body around at someone I would never expect to approach me: Percy Jackson, the person that I was crushing on. He had a plain, navy blue V-neck on, and dark gray jeans. He wore navy blue  _Vans_  to match his navy blue shirt, and his stunning emerald green eyes were staring right at me. His black windswept hair was as perfect as ever, and he was smiling so kindly at me, I could’ve sworn it was directed at someone behind me. But, I knew no one was behind me without even checking, because I was all the way in the corner of the park, where no one ever went. He even praised me, which was something I rarely ever received. I wasn’t used to praise, like I said before, which was why I was all the way in the back of the park, so no one could hear me play. So, why was Percy Jackson here?

Well, this could not turn out any good.


	3. Part 1) Chapter Two

“Uh, what…are you doing here?” I decided to ask in the most normal way I possibly could.

“Well,” Percy drawled, a small, friendly smile still on his face, “I was hanging out here at this park with some of my other friends after school, and we happened to hear your music. My friends aren’t really a big fan of classical music, but my step-dad got me into it since he listens to it around the house all the time and whatnot. So, I decided to follow the music and see who was playing it. You play the violin really well. My step-father would love meeting you, you know?” Percy’s smile became wider. “I’m—”

“Percy Jackson,” I finished, though it kind of just came out rather than me finishing it.

Percy stared at me surprised. Of course he would do that, he didn’t even know I went to his school, so how could I ever know his name? I probably sounded like a stalker to him.

“How did you know my name?” Percy ventured, head slightly tilted to the side with one eyebrow raised.

I opened my mouth but closed it. Should I tell Percy I went to his school? I mentally shook my head. Percy would just keep bothering me at school, trying to become friends with me. I mean, who would want to become friends with me? It was such a ridiculous idea, becoming friends with me. Plus, he would most likely find out about my father and those bullies beating me up all the time. Sure, I wanted help, but I don’t want sympathy. That was a huge no no for me.

So, I decided not to tell him. “Not important.” I stared off to the side where my black violin case was. I just wanted to be alone today, even if it  _was_  Percy Jackson that I happened to find.

Percy looked like he wanted to say something else, but he decided to say something different. “Alright, I guess. What’s your name?”

I sighed. “Nico. Nico di Angelo.”

“Nico?” Percy furrowed his brows. “I feel like I’ve heard that from somewhere. It sounds familiar to me. Nico di Angelo….where have I heard that before?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you’ve ever heard of me. No one knows my name, except for my father and my teachers.”

Percy still continued his puzzled expression. “Well, why not? What about your friends and the rest of your family?”

I tensed. We were delving deeper into a topic I hated talking about, especially with someone who barely knew me. “Not important.”

Percy smirked. “You say that a lot to get out of conversations.”

"Do I?” I replied. “I don’t have human interaction with people a lot, so I don’t really know if I do that.”

Percy’s puzzled expression returned. “Really? You’re one confusing guy, Nico. How come you never talk to people?”

I shook my head. “Not important.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Again with the ‘not important’ stuff. Oh well, guess I can’t do anything about it. But, what was that song you were playing called?”

My lips tilted downward. “It doesn’t have a name.”

Percy’s head tilted sideways more. “Well, why not? Don’t all songs have a title? I wanted to show my stepdad this music and tell him I found someone playing it on their violin at the park.”

I sighed. “I don’t think you should do that. It’s not very important. And, I kind of just made the song up in my head, so it doesn’t have a real title.”

Percy suddenly looked shocked. “Wait…you just made it up while you played?!”

“Yeah.” I arched an eyebrow. “What’s so wrong about that?”

Percy shook his head, his surprised expression faltering. “Nothing, nothing. It’s just, the song seemed like such a well-written song, but then I realized it’s  _not_  written, and that you just made it all up in your head. That seems like it takes a lot of talent,” Percy explained.

“Not really,” I drawled. “I play the violin like that almost every day.”

“Really?” Percy looked impressed, a smile forming on his lips again. “Do you play here most of the time? I would love to bring my step-dad and introduce you to him.”

I shook my head. “I don’t like playing in front of people. I mean, sure I play in front of people at school, but that’s different.”

“Oh.” Percy’s expression turned into a disappointed one. “Do you want to become friends at least? I would love to be friends with someone like you. You seem like such a nice, yet mysterious guy. I would love to know you more.”

I frowned and sighed heavily. “I don’t think you would want to become friends with someone like me.”

Percy blinked at me. “Well, why not?”

I waved the question away, responding with, “Not important.”

Percy sighed, but a smile was still on his face. “Of course you replied with the ‘not important’. It’s like, whenever I really want to know something about you, you say ‘not important’. And hey, your last name’s Italian. Does that mean you can speak in Italian and stuff?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, but I was born in Maine.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Percy commented as I began packing my violin. “Are you sure you don’t want to become friends with me? You mentioned earlier that you didn’t have any friends. Well, you replied with ‘not important’, but it’s just a guess. Are you sure about it though?”

I shoulder my violin bag. “I’m positive. Bye, Percy.”

Percy sighed, a disappointed look covering his face once more. “See you later, Nico.”

As I walked away, I thought about that. I don’t think there would ever be a “later” in talking to Percy Jackson again. Sure, I would see him around school, but I don’t think he would ever pay any attention to me. I didn’t think I would “catch his eye” at school.

Boy, was I wrong.

* * *

 

“Hey, queer,” I heard someone snarl at me.

“Are you talking to yourself?” I sassily answered.

The front collar of my shirt was pulled into someone’s grasp, and the next thing I knew, my back was being shoved into a locker. My chest didn’t completely heal, which was one of the downsides to this problem, and it was most likely going to get worse after this beating.

I was on my way to my Biology class until I found Luke Castellan and a few of his other friends. Not all of them were there, but the meanest ones were there. It was like they were waiting for me or something. At least they didn’t know what my Biology class room number was, or I would be beaten up by them every day.

 I knew I was gay, and the bullies knew it too. I’m not sure why they chose to beat me up because I was gay. A lot of other people at school were gay. But, maybe it was because I didn’t mind liking other guys and finding them attractive. The guys that were gay at my school found it weird and abnormal. I didn’t really care; it was the least of my problems in life anyway. I had more to deal with than just being gay.

I soon felt hot, searing pain throughout my right cheek. My head was harshly moved by my chin, so I saw who was bullying me today: Luke Castellan. His other friends were standing in the background, snickering at me.

I’m not going to lie, but Luke Castellan was good-looking. Though, I wasn’t attracted to him. He had short, sandy blonde hair that was styled to his left side and blue eyes. He had an athletic and muscular build to him, and he had a look that screamed “troublemaker”, which he was. He also has this thick, pale scar that ran down the bottom of his eye to his chin. How he got it is a mystery to me.

He shoved my back into the locker once again. “Did you just talk back to me, you little queer?”

I usually bad-talked them back, so this was normal for me. “Do you have ears? Because, last time I checked, I’m pretty sure you did.”

Luke growled and dropped me on the ground. He kicked the flat of his foot in my chest, and it was the most horrible feeling I could’ve ever felt. All the pain came surging back to me, heat spreading throughout my body. I coughed up blood onto his leg, and he looked from his leg to me in disgust.

“You little fucking queer,” Luke spat. “I’m going to make you pay for that.”

“What’s wrong?” I growled at him, wiping off some leftover blood from the corner of my mouth using the back of my hand. “Don’t like the color red?”

Luke glared daggers at me before he picked me up from the front collar of my shirt like a doll and threw me against the locker, pinning me there. He punched me in the face once more in the same spot with a firmly grasped fist. He threw me on the ground and stomped on my stomach, and he kicked me in the shin, making me cry out loud.

Luke bent over and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt so that we were face to face. Our noses were mere centimeters apart.

Luke’s voice was a dangerous whisper, with an evil smirk on his face.  “You better beg for some help, queer. Because you’re going to need it.”

He shoved me into the locker once more. He raised his fist and I flinched before it hit me, but it never came.

“Hey, Castellan!”                                                                                                                                                   

I didn’t realize my eyes were shut tight, but when I slowly opened them, I saw Luke’s gaze directed at someone to my left. My sight was still hazy and blurry, but when I managed to turn my head, I saw Jason Grace and  _his_  group of friends. Luke’s friends scowling at them, probably angry that their “entertainment” was stopped.

Luke glared at them. “What’s wrong, Grace? You want to look after this fucking two year-old?”

“Very funny, Castellan.” Jason rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s laughing. Now, hand him over.”

Luke glared at them once more before throwing me across the hall to the foot of the captain of the football team.

“This isn’t over, Grace,” Luke spat before he and his friends made their way towards the opposite direction of where I was.

“Hey, are you okay?” I heard Jason Grace say to me.

I struggled to get up—one hand clutching my chest and another pushing against the ground so I would get up. It was more like a half push-up. I didn’t need their help (I obviously did need it), but I didn’t want their sympathy either. But, I couldn’t tell that to them. My voice felt like failing on me at that moment. So, I couldn’t really do anything about it.“Here let me help,” Jason Grace offered, already in the process of helping me up.

“Here let me help,” Jason Grace offered, already in the process of helping me up.

“Should we take him to the nurse?” I heard a feminine voice say. “He looks like he’ll need to go there.”

“Well, obviously!” I heard another feminine voice respond. “Are you blind? He  _really_  needs some medical attention. Stupid Castellan. Why does he have to beat people up so much?”

“Because he’s an idiot,” A masculine voice annoyingly replied.

“He looks like he’s going to pass out,” Another masculine voice commented.

“You guys aren’t making his situation any better,” A feminine voice huffed. I could tell this girl was either crossing her arms and sighing, or rolling her eyes. Either that or this person with the feminine voice was a guy.

“Just help him!” Another feminine voice frantically said, helping Jason carry me. I couldn’t really see who everyone talking around me was, but I knew they were Jason Grace’s friends.

I didn’t like the idea of going the school nurse because when you went there, the school nurse always informed your guardian. And, if my father knew that this happened, he would just beat me up all over again, saying that I “wasted his time” and that I shouldn’t “piss people off so that they would beat me up”. He would just make my condition worse than it already is. And, I didn’t need that.

“You guys need to hurry or he might die,” A feminine voice said, though I could tell from her tone of voice she was just being sarcastic.

Apparently, the girl that was helping me up didn’t detect her sarcasm. “He could die?! Oh my god! Jason, we’ve got to run to the nurse now!”

Jason—on my right—sighed. “He’s not going to die. She was just kidding.” The girl on my left breathed a sigh of relief.

“We still need to hurry,” A feminine voice mentioned.

“Well, yeah,” the girl who was either crossing her arms or rolling her eyes earlier agreed. “Should we be getting the others?”

“If you want,” Jason replied. “We’re going on ahead and getting him to the nurse.”

“Alright.” was the last thing I heard from that girl before I passed out.


	4. Part 1) Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's going to take... so... long... to upload all of my stories onto this website, isn't it? After uploading all of this story, I have to upload Depression and The Violin That Started it Again. Oh boy...

I woke up in a really soft bed. Nothing compared to my real bed at home. My real bed was really rough and uncomfortable. I hated it, but it was better than sleeping on the floor. And trust me, I’ve tried it before. I woke up really sore on that day, so from that day forward, I slept on my really uncomfortable bed. I hated it, but I had no other choice, right?

I got up and I was aching all over body. I groaned and lied back down on the bed. Great, just what I needed. How long would I be in here anyway? My father was most likely picking me up, which was another bonus to my “Bad Luck Things That Were Happening” list. So far, I have many on that list and zero on the “Good Luck Things That Were Happening” list. You know, I sometimes wonder why I even have a good luck list if nothing good was ever going to happen.

Well, at that time, that was what I thought.

The door was opened and but someone different stepped inside. He looked as if he were seventeen or eighteen, and he had sandy hair. He had an athletic and muscular build, and a bright cocky smile. He also had blue eyes, and I would be lying if he wasn’t good-looking. And, in other words, he looked like he could pass as Luke’s brother, but taller.

“Hello?” I asked, still tremendously aching.

The guy smiled. “Hello. My mother works here as the school nurse, but she’s sick so I’m filling in her place.” The guy closed the door and leaned on the table next to the door. “I’m Apollo. Jason Grace and Silena Beauregard carried you here. They’re waiting outside with the rest of their friends. You’re Nico, right?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “How…did you know?”

Apollo nonchalantly shrugged. “I looked through the files for whoever looked like you. You were sleeping for about five hours.”

“ _Five_?!” I incredulously asked.

“Yeah, we already informed your teachers and your dad about this incident,” Apollo explained. “You’ve been excused from your classes until you’re better to move. Are you feeling better?”

I heavily sighed, knowing I was going to get beaten by my father when I get home. “I’m just aching, that’s all.”

Apollo smiled. Apparently, he didn’t see my negative reaction before I replied.  “That’s good. I’m going to let Jason and a few of his friends come in. Is that okay?”

I debated that for a moment. “How long have they been waiting?”

“They’ve been waiting since lunch started, and it started thirty minutes ago.” Apollo chuckled. “And, I’m serious. They literally ate their lunch here.”

I sighed. “Fine, bring them in.”

I wasn’t sure why I let them in at that moment. Maybe I just felt bad that they waited since lunch started? I don’t know why, but that was when it all started. And, now that I think back on it, at that time, I really regretted letting them in. But now, I honestly don’t.

Apollo opened the door and called for them, though I couldn’t tell what he was saying. Apollo stepped out of the way. “I asked for only a few to come in since I didn’t want to overcrowd this room. That alright?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I replied.

The first one to step in was Jason Grace. The next was Piper McLean, then Annabeth Chase. Silena Beauregard followed, along with Reyna Avila-Ramirez Arellano. And the last one to come in was—just by luck—Percy Jackson.

Piper McLean tried not to be pretty, and even though I was gay, I would be blind to not see how pretty she was. She was of Native American descent, with chocolate, dark brown hair that was cut unevenly and very choppily. She had thin, braided strands on either side of her hair, with feathers tied into them. Her eyes changed from blue to green, depending on the lighting they were under. She had a tomboyish appearance, which was one of the many things that made Piper so unique.

Silena Beauregard was also very beautiful. She had light blonde hair that was slightly wavy, and it went down to half of her back. She had stunning, crystal blue eyes, and she had perfectly tanned skin. She was also very slim, but not unhealthily slim. She always wore a headband in her hair, and today she was wearing a white headband with a big, sky blue rose stuck onto it.

Reyna was also pretty, in my opinion, though some people have different opinions. She had glossy black hair that was in a single braid, draping over her right shoulder. She had piercing black eyes, and because of her attitude, I was surprised she wasn’t friends with Luke Castellan and the others. She usually wore purple and/or black clothing.

Annabeth started, “Are you—”

“Nico?!” Percy exclaimed, looking very bewildered and shocked.

His other friends stared at him with puzzled expressions.

“His name’s Nico?” Jason inquired.

“You know this kid?” Reyna snorted.

“Yeah.” Percy stepped forward until he was right next to my bed. “No wonder you knew my name without me telling you. Why didn’t you tell me you went to the same school as me?”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Annabeth came up next to Percy. “How do you know him?”

Percy answered, “He was the one playing the violin in the park yesterday.”

“Really?” Silena gasped. “You play so well! You must’ve been taught really well. Who’s your teacher?”

“My mother,” I murmured. I didn’t want to be reminded of my mother, at least, not here.

“Really?” Silena smiled. “She must be so kind.” I wanted to correct her last sentence, unfortunately. She  _was_  kind.

Percy huffed, “How come you answer  _her_  questions but not mine? Nico, why didn’t you tell me you went to the same school as me?”

I shook my head. “Not important.”

“Of course.” Percy rolled his eyes. “I was expecting you to answer that.”

I smiled, which was really rare for me. Ever since my mother and Bianca died, I never smiled. I don’t ever remember smiling after their deaths. It was weird, smiling for the first time in five years.

Percy glanced at me. “You know, now that I think of it, I never saw you smile yesterday. Why don’t you ever smile?”

How did he notice that I never smiled yesterday? I put the question in the back of my mind. I shook my head. “Not important.”

“What  _will_  you answer?!” Percy cried out, groaning.

“Maybe he just doesn’t like you.” Piper giggled. Now, I wanted to correct  _that_  sentence.

“Well, who doesn’t like Percy?” Silena swung an arm around Percy.

“Apparently Nico doesn’t.” Reyna crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. I  _really_  needed to proofread their sentences.

“Are you feeling better, Nico?” Piper asked, changing the topic.

“I’m fine, thanks,” I replied, trying to shove the thought of my father beating me up for this into the back of my mind. “I’m just aching, that’s all.”

Piper brightly smiled. “That’s good to hear.”

Annabeth was staring at me with such an intense gaze and made me feel uncomfortable. Which was one of the reasons why I hated being around people so much. I was always really self-conscience. She was staring at me as if I were a Calculus problem, analyzing every single part, trying to solve the problem and find the final answer. Did I really come out as such a mysterious person?

“Annabeth!” Silena whined. “Stop making him so uncomfortable!” She swung an arm around Annabeth, making herself comfortable between Percy and Annabeth.

Annabeth shook her head, shaking her curly blonde hair tied back in a tight ponytail. “Sorry. I was just thinking about something, that’s all.”

“You’re always thinking about something, you brainiac,” Reyna remarked. Annabeth rolled her eyes in response.

“What’s your last name, Nico?” Silena decided to ask, ignoring Reyna and Annabeth.

“Di Angelo,” I flatly replied.

Silena gasped once more, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You’re  _Italian_?! Oh my god! That’s so amazing! I wish I was Italian. That’s so cool! Can you fluently speak the language?”

I sighed. I never liked speaking Italian because it reminded me so much of…their deaths. A lot of things remind me of their deaths. Sorry if I over-mention it. I may sound annoying, but it’s true.

“Not important. ” I waved the question away.

“But—”

“Yes, Silena.” Percy smirked at the blonde-haired girl. “Feel my pain. Feel his wrath, just like me. Feel how unfair Nico is.”

Silena playfully smacked Percy in the chest. “Shut up, Percy,” She whined.

“Nico’s such a mysterious person, huh?” Piper cocked her head to the side with a smile, setting her hands on her hips. “It’ll be so much finding out more about you, Nico?”

I arched an eyebrow. “What?”

Silena tilted her head to the side, jumping up all the way to the side of the bed. “We’re friends now, right?”

I stared at her as if she grew a second head. “Friends?”

Silena looked at me with a quizzical expression. “Yeah, of course. Right, guys?” She turned towards all her friends around her, who nodded.

My lips tilted downwards. “I don’t think you’d want to be friends with someone like me.”

“Well, why not?” Piper asked.

“He told that to me last time,” Percy huffed, looking slightly annoyed. “He’s going to say—”

“Not important,” I finished for him with a laugh. It was such a full-hearted laugh, it was weird for me to just hear it. After five full years,  _they_  were the ones that could bring out my laugh and my smile again. I felt like how I was before back when I was only ten years-old—a smiling idiot. Yet, I felt like myself again, and I wished it could’ve lasted forever like that. But, I knew it wouldn’t. I suddenly stopped laughing, and apparently, I looked really depressed and sadness was probably clouding my face when I stopped.

“What’s wrong, Nico?” Percy asked, most likely concerned.

I shook my head. “It’s…it’s nothing.”

Silena looked worriedly at me. “Are you sure? Look, no matter what you say to me, I’m still going to hang out with you until you finally give in and become friends with me.” Silena smiled. “You seem like such a nice guy, it’s weird how I never notice you.”

“I never try to make myself noticeable,” I said before I could stop myself. I slapped a hand to my mouth, realized right afterward that I’ve said too much. “Just forget what I just said.”

“How come you never…” Silena started before she stopped herself. “Never mind, I see you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Sorry,” I quietly murmured my apology.

“It’s fine!” Silena smiled, though I could obviously tell it was fake. I’ve done plenty of fake smiles in my life before to know how to tell between a genuine smile and a fake smile.

And it was that exact moment, my father decided to waltz in.

My father had a very formidable appearance to him. He was very tall and muscular, and he has albino white skin. He had intense black eyes and black, shoulder-length hair that was darker the midnight. He always wore an opal ring on his ring finger, but I already know that wasn’t the same ring that my mother had, so he was probably married to some lady that I never knew of, but it was not like I cared.

“Hello, Mr. di Angelo,” Apollo greeted.

“Hello,” My father, Hades, greeted back. He stared at me with a very blank expression, which I knew was bad. “Nico, we must be going now.”

“No,” Percy cut in before I could get up.

“No?” Hades scoffed. “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m Nico’s father.”

“What are you doing?” Jason hissed at Percy.

“I know that look on your face, and I hate to say it, but I’ve experienced it too,” Percy explained. He later turned to me. “He’s the worst dad you could ever have, isn’t he?”

I stared shocked at him. My father glared at me from behind Percy’s back, so I decided to be on my father’s good side, even if I was going to get beaten up afterward. I shook my head. “He’s a fine father. What would make you say he was the worst?” I was a pretty good liar, along with my fake smiles and everything. I could be a pretty good actor, but I would deny that offer immediately.

Percy stared at me, still not buying what I had said. He frowned. “If you say so. But, don’t hesitate to come to me when you’re getting abused by him.” He glared at my father, something I’ve never seen Percy ever do. I’ve never even seen this side of Percy before. I always thought that he had the nice, happy life that anyone would wish for. I always thought that he was always cheerful and bright, but I thought wrong, apparently.

“Percy, calm down,” Annabeth whispered to Percy. “We shouldn’t fight with him. He seems like a very…powerful person.”

“Annabeth—” Percy started to retort.

“Shush, Percy.” Annabeth looked sympathetically at her lover. “I know what you’re most likely thinking right now. But, Nico sounds like he’s telling the truth. And, if he’s not, then don’t push it. Some people need their privacy, right?”

 Percy only sighed in defeat. “Fine,” was all he answered. He turned to me. “We’re friends now, right, Nico?”

I gulped. My father would not like the sound of that, and I could already see it written across his face in big, bolded letters.

Silena decided to join in, which only added more pressure onto me. “Yeah, Nico. We’ll see you tomorrow, right? I’m still going to be friends with you, no matter what you say.” She gave me a small smile. “I’ll talk to you more tomorrow, Nico. And, we’ll introduce you to our other friends.”

“She’s right,” Piper joined in. “I’ll still try being friends with you no matter what.”

Jason smiled. “Me too. You seem like a nice guy, Nico. And, you’re a huge mystery that I am dying to solve.”

Reyna rolled her eyes. “That’s Annabeth’s doing. And sure, guess I’ll be friends with you, Nico.”

Annabeth still stared at me with that calculating gaze, but she nodded in agreement with the rest of her friends.

“So, you guys are friends of Nico’s?” Hades asked with an unwavering tone, which really freaked me out. But, he always talked like that, but if he was asking something about me, I knew the result wouldn’t be good. And, their answer would most likely lead to my doom. I knew they were going to answer: “Yes, we are friends with Nico.”

But, the most unexpected answer came from the most unexpected person.

“No, not really.” Percy stared at my father with a challenging gaze. “We’ve only just met him.”

Hades nodded, looking slightly impressed. “I see. Well, let us go, Nico.”

I gritted my teeth, but I knew I had to obey my father’s orders. Percy looked like he wanted to retort with something, but Annabeth grabbed Percy by the arm and shook her head in a warning manner. Percy still looked very furious, but he didn’t say anything, but it was like he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying anything.

I got off the most comfortable bed I’ve ever experienced in five years, and I would’ve almost fallen over if Jason hadn’t caught me.

“Watch out, you’re still aching,” Jason warned. “Make sure to go easy on your body. Take a rest when you get home.”

“Alright, thanks, Jason,” I thanked, even though I knew what I was getting when I got home with my father.

Apollo opened the door for us. “I’ll inform the office and your teachers that you left early with your dad, Nico.” I only nodded in response.

 My father and I walked out, the others behind me. Apollo waved goodbye before shutting the door. I looked around at the chairs set up against the wall by the door and saw that they were occupied with what I guessed were Percy’s friends. All of their gazes led up to me, and I knew they were all guessing that I was the one that got beaten up by Luke Castellan.

I could feel everyone’s gaze on me as my father led me through all the halls, and soon towards the two double doors leading to the outside of the school. When we got to my father’s two-seated black BMW, I wasn’t looking forward to getting in. I wanted to run back into the school, not to Percy and to the others, but somewhere where I could be alone, all alone with my violin. Where I could play in peace with my thoughts, thinking about all those good times that I had with Bianca and my mother. But, I knew it wasn’t possible.

When I got inside the car and shut the car door, I knew I wouldn’t be able to listen to Jason’s advice.


	5. Part 1) Chapter Four

Well, I’m screwed.

Right when I got home, my father looked around the neighborhood, most likely checking to see if anyone was watching. After he was done, he threw me into the house, and he stomped inside. He shut the door so loudly, it rattled the objects hung on the walls, and the hinges the door was connected to. He looked so furious, but I was already used to his death glares.

“You did a fine,” He pinned my hands above my head with his left foot, “job,” He stomped his other foot on my stomach, “wasting my time,” He kicked the side of my face, “and my money. You owe me an apology,” He stomped on my chest, “Nico.” His voice was dangerously calm and he did that so he could (1) scare the living hell out of me, and (2) so the neighbors wouldn’t hear.

I decided not to answer; I never answered whenever my father was abusing me. Sure I talked back to the bullies at school, but my father was different.

He threw me into a table against the wall, and I sat there, limp and in a daze. I never retorted against my father. I have once, and it was horrible. He broke my shoulder and some of my ribs, and I had to go to the hospital secretly. I didn’t have enough money to pay off the whole amount, so I still owe quite a lot. My father still doesn’t know about the secret hospital visit, because I begged the nurses to not tell my father, or he’d make me worse. They asked me how he could make it worse, but I waved off their questions. They finally gave in, fortunately.

He grabbed a fistful of my dark brown hair and pulled me up until he was standing to his full height, and we were face to face. He was scowling at me, and his teeth were tightly clenched. He was glaring venomous daggers at every inch of my face as if I were a disgrace that shouldn’t have been born into the di Angelo family. Well, he was most likely thinking of that. I thought that of myself as well.

My teeth were gritted as well, but it wasn’t fueled by anger. It was fueled by pain. I was already aching before I arrived home, and my father was only making my condition worse. He was smart; he wouldn’t injure anywhere where people could see the injury. That’s why he always aimed for my chest because he knew I wouldn’t walk around school shirtless. But sometimes he aimed for my face because he knew I was a loner at school, and that nobody would care what happened to me.

My father smirked. “I’m surprised that little fucker of a boy actually knew what I do to you just by my look. You better be wary of him, Nico, or something worse may be coming for you.”

I gulped. Did he just tell me to stay away from Percy? You don’t have to tell me twice, I’ve been trying to get rid of him for two days. Of course, I didn’t open my mouth and tell him directly, or he would’ve beaten me up so more.

“You know,” my father started, “I’m surprised you managed to make some decent friends. I’m surprised there are people who actually  _want_  to be your friend. Are all of them  _your_  friends?”

I didn’t respond. I just stared right into the deep, black depths of my father’s eyes, which held furious rage in them.

He tossed me on the ground and stepped on my thigh. “Answer me, fool!”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my cheeks as he stomped on my thigh and rammed the flat of his foot into it. I bit my lip to suppress a scream, but I bit it so hard that blood poured out of it.

He kicked me in the hip before muttering what a disgrace I was to his family, before leaving me on the ground of our living room.

* * *

 

School was a pain in the ass. I could barely walk because my father injured my thigh so much, and my chest hurt by just breathing. There was a bruise on the left side of my face, but I used my hand to hide it. I made a fake note with a fake signature to excuse myself from PE, which I did all the time because of my father. My PE teacher never paid any attention to the signature, since she could glance at me and already tell that I was in no good condition to participate.

It was lunch now, so I didn’t get to go to PE yet. The note was in my binder, which was in my black backpack. I was trying to avoid Percy and the others, and I luckily never found them yet. They never found me either. So, I was sitting under a tree that was located in the field of the school, which was behind the school. No one really went here at lunch; they were usually in the cafeteria or just walking around and talking. So, I didn’t expect anyone to find me here.

And, as usual, I was wrong.

“Nico!”

I hastily put my left hand on my left cheek to hide the bruise, and I glanced to my right and saw Silena, Jason, and Percy. Well, there goes my luck.

“We’ve been looking for you everywhere this whole day!” Silena panted as they closed the distance between us.

“Yeah, we have,” Percy agreed. “Where were you?”

“Attending school?” I raised an eyebrow. What was I supposed to say?  _Oh, see, I’ve been avoiding you guys the whole day because you shouldn’t be friends with a no-good loner like me who gets abused by their father almost every day._

“Well, obviously.” Jason rolled his eyes.

“I told you I would come talk to you today! And we need to introduce you to our other friends!” Silena pouted, crossing her arms.

“You really worried us, Nico,” Percy said, his lips tilting downward.

“At least we finally found him,” Jason said, offering a hand. “Now, come on. We need to bring you back to our other friends. Silena’s not giving you much of a choice anyway.”

No, not really, I’m not giving you much of a choice.” Silena giggled. “Now, let’s go!”

Silena attempted to haul me up, but she pulled on my arm a little too harshly that I cried out in pain and dropped to the ground, grabbing my chest and my thigh.

Silena immediately came down next to me. “Oh my god! I’m so so  _so_  sorry, I didn’t mean to! Apollo said you should be healed by now, so I thought you were!” She put her hands out in front of me, but she didn’t know where to put her hands so that I wouldn’t be in pain.

“Woah, Nico, are you okay?!” Percy collapsed on my other side.

Jason was looking at me with one of Annabeth’s calculating gazes. “Wait a second, you weren’t injured in your thigh yesterday.”

Silena and Percy glanced up at Jason, then back at me.

“What happened, Nico?!” Silena frantically asked me. “Did Luke or one of them beat you up again?! You should’ve told us! We would’ve given them a piece of our mind for hurting our friend so badly.” She punched her left palm and grasped her fist for emphasis.

“I told you to rest yesterday. Did you even?” Jason crouched down next to me, worry filling his electric blue eyes.

“Not…important,” I managed, grasping my chest from all the pain surging from it. It was so hard to breathe and talk; I hated it. Heat was running throughout my body, and it took so much effort just to breathe. It felt like someone was hammering my chest every time I took a breath.

“It’s  _obviously_  important!” Percy retorted. “What happened, Nico?! You can’t wave it off like it’s not important.” Worry also filled Percy’s emerald green eyes as he stared expectantly at me. “What happened?”

I clenched my teeth. “I can’t….tell you…”

“Why not?!” Silena whined, her expression both frantic and worried.

“Nico, you’ve been hiding a lot of things from us, and we just met you yesterday,” Jason pointed out. “Not counting Percy. But, we can’t help you if you don’t tell us what’s wrong.”

“He’d kill me if…I told you,” I managed to say through clenched teeth.

“Who would?” Percy tried a more gentle approach. “We just want to help you, Nico. We’re friends, even if you don’t think we are. We  _want_  to become friends with you, no matter who you are.”

Silena nodded. “He’s right, Nico. Friends help each other out. And, we want to make your life better. We’ve never seen you smile or anything, and I’m pretty sure there’s a story behind why you don’t. We want you to be happy, and the only thing you have to do is tell us what’s happening.”

I frantically shook my head, back and forth. “I can’t.”

“But—”

“Guys,” Jason interrupted, “we’re not making him feel any better if we try to force it out of him. Let’s just get him back to Apollo.”

“No!” I blurted out. All eyes turned on me. “He’s going to…beat me up if he…finds out again.”

Percy gritted his teeth, as anger flooded the eyes that I’ve fallen in love with. “Was it your father who did this?” I hesitantly shook my head in reply. But, Percy didn’t seem very convinced. “It was…wasn’t it? I saw the look in his eyes when he walked in…I knew he did bad things to you. My first step-dad was horrible. He abused me in every possible, whether it was verbally or physically. The look in your dad’s eyes was the same as my first stepdad's.”

I glanced up at him, but I’m not sure what my expression looked like because Percy looked even more furious as he stared down at me.  “No…it’s not…him. It’s someone…else.” But, Percy still wasn’t convinced.

“We need to heal him somehow,” Jason informed.

“Maybe we can ask Apollo to not tell his dad?” Silena suggested, glancing at the blonde-haired teen. “Then maybe whoever Nico’s talking about won’t beat him up.”

“It’s worth a shot.” Jason nodded. “Percy, help me carry him. Silena, tell the others we’ll be at the health office. You can go there afterward if you want with a few people.”

Silena nodded and sprinted away in the direction where they came from. Jason and Percy took one side of me and carried me up, helping me walk most of the way towards the health office, which was a long way from where we were. I’m surprised they even helped me walk the whole way. Were they really serious about being friends with me? Or was it just sympathy that they were giving me?

When we got to the door of the health office, Apollo glanced from Jason, to Percy, then back to me. He looked really shocked, but he ushered us inside and closed the door behind us. Percy and Jason set me on the super comfortable bed and began doing a check-up on me.

"What happened this time?” Apollo looking for the right tools he would need.

“He won’t tell us,” Jason answered, disappointment in his tone. “It wasn’t Castellan or anything though, I know that for sure.”

Apollo nodded, taking in the information. “And, where is he injured?”

“As far as I know, his chest and his thigh,” Jason answered.

“I think he has a bruise on his left cheek,” Percy pointed out as he examined me with an unwavering gaze.

Jason glanced at my left cheek. “Yeah, he is.”

“Do you know who did it?” Apollo inquired.

“No,” Jason flatly answered, glancing back at Apollo.

“I see,” He murmured. “Alright, you guys wait outside. I’ll heal Nico up.”

Percy and Jason nodded, and they headed out the door.

Later after getting myself healed and all of that, Apollo opened the door and called for Percy and Jason. But instead of just Percy and Jason coming in, Silena and a few others came in behind them. They were Leo Valdez, Will Solace, Frank Zhang, and Katie Gardner.

Leo Valdez, a Latino, wasn’t on the football teams with his other friends, but he was friends with all of them, mainly because he was best friends with Jason since elementary school or something like that. He was considered to be the jokester of their group. Leo had curly black hair and dark brown eyes.  He had pointy ears and he had a mischievous smile on his face. He had a slim build to him, but he wasn’t as muscular as his other friends.

Will Solace looked similar to Apollo. He had sun-kissed hair and blue eyes. He had a body of that of a surfer’s, and an athletic build. He was pretty tall, but not as tall as his other friends named Butch or Beckendorf (his first name is Charles, but he prefers to be called by his last name).

Frank Zhang was Asian-Canadian descent. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He was pretty tall, like Will, and he probably was a little shorter than Butch or Beckendorf (I’ll explain them once I see them). He was lean, but muscular, and he had broad shoulders. He was also the boyfriend of Hazel Levesque.

Katie Gardner was dating Travis Stoll, one of the biggest tricksters of the school, next to his twin brother, Connor Stoll. She was a very nice person, and she had black hair and soft, caramel eyes. She was also slim and very pretty. Her hair was put over her right shoulder, and it went down to her shoulder blades.

"So this is the famous Nico di Angelo I’ve been hearing from Silena so much,” Will commented.

“Silena’s like, attached to you, Nico.” Katie giggled. “She talks about you all the time. You’re probably our number one topic conversation ever since she discovered you yesterday.”

“She’s like how you would describe a ‘fangirl’, but over you instead.” Leo smirked.

Silena slightly blushed. “I don’t talk about him all the time! Do I?”

Percy, Jason, Will, Leo, Frank, and Katie all stared at her at the same time with a look that read:  _Really?_

Silena laughed. “I guess I do.”

“Hey, Apollo,” Jason turned towards the blonde-haired healer, “can you not tell Nico’s dad about this?”

Apollo arched an eyebrow. “Well, why not?”

“Nico doesn’t really want you to,” Jason answered.

Apollo frowned. “I can’t really do that. When their child is injured, don’t you think the parent would want to know?”

“He already knows,” I muttered.

“He does?” Silena asked. “How come he hasn’t done anything? Doesn’t he care for you?”

I smiled a humorless smile at her. “Care for me? Please, no one cares about me anymore. I’m surprised you guys still stick with me.”

Silena looked horrified from what I said to her. “Why would…no one care about you? You’re such a great guy, Nico, you deserve to be happy.”

I laughed a quiet, humorless laugh. “Too late for that now, I’ve already been living like this for five years. I’d probably live the rest of my life this way.”

The most unexpected thing happened to me. Silena suddenly just ran up to me and hugged the breath right out of me. At least my chest felt better now, or I would’ve been crying out in pain.

“Silena, you’re going to hug the life out of him,” Leo commented.

“He deserves hugs!” Silena said from over my shoulder.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Just let her hug him. As long as he can breathe. Nico, you’re still with us, right? Please tell me you are.”

“He’s breathing!” Silena answered for me. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“Are we going to do a group hug now?” Leo grinned before bounding over to me and hugging me from behind.

“Yeah!” Katie, Will, and Percy all joined the group hug.

Jason sighed with a smile on his face before he grabbed Frank’s wrist and dragged him over to the group hug.

“This is...weird,” I commented.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never had a hug before,” Percy said before hugging me tighter. I probably would’ve been blushing down to my neck under different circumstances. “We need to hang out more, Nico.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I replied, trying to stop myself from blushing.

“Why not?” Percy whined.

“Not important.”

“You know, you can be really annoying sometimes.”

“I try,” Leo piped in.

“Not talking about you, Leo!” Percy laughed.

“But, he can be annoying,” Jason added.

“ _Very_  true,” Frank agreed.

“I feel the love, guys.” Leo smirked.

“This is the weirdest group hug I’ve ever had,” Will commented.

“That is also very true,” Frank said.

And we continued like that until lunch was over.

After school, I was making my way home. Silena made it official that we were friends, and if I didn’t show up to them tomorrow in the morning, she would hit me upside the head and criticize me. Some interesting group of friends.

I was very glad Apollo didn’t tell my father, or he would’ve beaten me up, and I would’ve never gotten better. All I had to do was sneak into the house without alerting my father later today, and this would’ve probably been the best day I’ve ever had in five years.

 I didn’t have anything better to do, and I didn’t want to do my homework, so I decided to play my violin in the park where I usually played it. But, things seemed to not have gone as planned for me.

When I was walking out of the two double doors of the school, I heard someone call my name. I stopped in my tracks and turned around and found my crush, Percy Jackson.

“Oh, hey, Percy,” I greeted. “What’s up?”

“I already told you, we were going to hang out, remember?” Percy said as he closed the distance between us.

I tilted my head to the side. “I didn’t think you were serious.”

Percy frowned. “Of course I was serious.” He smiled at me. “Now, let’s go to my house! I want to introduce you to my mom and my stepdad!”

He grabbed my wrist and dragged me away to the direction of his house. Me? Going to my crush’s house? I didn’t know whether I should be excited or scared.


	6. Part 1) Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I'm just going to make this note before I forget later.)
> 
> Nico's birthday gets mentioned later in this story, but at the time that this fanfic was being written, Nico's birth date wasn't released. When I was writing this story a long time ago, I just made his birthday January 28. Yes, I know his actual birthday is January 29, but for the purposes of this story and the fact that his birth date wasn't released, just go with January 28, okay? Thanks!

I can’t believe I was getting dragged here.

Percy has been walking me to his house from the start all the way from school. He didn’t even bother whether or not I had a different opinion on the matter. Even if I had work today, he still wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t really giving me a choice, so what could I do?

But, the one thing I found weird was that this neighborhood looked  _exactly_  like  _mine_. The house arrangement was the same, the houses were all the same, all the cars were familiar to my eyes, and I was pretty sure the really dark house to my left was mine.

“Percy, where are you taking me?” I decided to ask because I was pretty sure Percy didn’t live in the same neighborhood as me. Actually, I never went outside when I was around my house, so I guess I never could tell.

“To my house, of course,” Percy answered like it was the obvious thing in the world.

My lips tilted downward. “Are you sure?”

Percy stopped and looked at me weirdly, but I couldn’t shake the thought out of my head that he was  _still_  holding my wrist. “Yeah, what would make you think that I didn’t know where my house was?”

“Because this neighborhood looks exactly like mine.”

Percy blinked at me. It took him a while for him to respond, but when he finally did, it was the simplest thing ever, and it was  _not_  worth the wait. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I pointed to the black house on my left with my free hand. “I’m pretty sure that’s my house.”

Percy glanced at the black house, then back to me. “Seriously? I pass by that house every single day when I walk home.”

“Yeah, I’m serious,” I flatly answered.

“You live in a pretty big house by the way,” Percy commented as he glanced back at my house.

“Er…thanks?” I looked at him with a weird expression on my face.

Percy smiled at me. “No problem, Nico. Hey, guess that means I get to see you more often.”

I frowned. “I don’t think my father would want you over anyway. Maybe it’s safer if I go to your house instead.”

Percy cocked his head to his right. “Why would it be ‘safer’?”

I shook my head. “Not important.”

“Of course you would say that,” Percy grumbled. I only smiled at him in amusement, but it soon faltered, since it reminded me so much of my ten year-old self, the person I would never be able to be anymore. My ten year-old self seemed like such a different person, I couldn’t even believe it was actually me.

Percy took my chin in his other hand and lifted it up so we were making eye contact. “Why do you always look so sad when I finally make you smile or laugh? It worries me, Nico. I hate seeing you look so sad.” His facial expression was full of worry, concern, and sadness. And, I hated seeing my secret crush look like that. It hurt me so much; someone like Percy should never be worried. He didn’t deserve it. I wished I could just take it all away from him.

I shook my head, pushing his hand that was lifting my chin up away. “Not important, let’s just go to your house, okay?”

Percy always seemed to know when I was hiding something really relevant about myself because he didn’t look very convinced. Yet, he still led me over to his house, his hand still grabbing my wrist.

It was across the street from mine, but three houses to the left. It was sky blue with a white roof along with a white front porch, a white garage that was on the right side of the house, and white double doors. His driveway that led up to the garage was a light tan, and there was grass in the front of the house to the left of the house. Gray stairs led up to the front porch of the door, and there was an insignia of a golden trident over the front double doors. Translucent, oval windows were on the doors, and the house was two stories. There were various windows on the top level, but I couldn’t see any windows on the bottom level. They were most likely on the side of the house or behind.

“I really like your house,” I commented as he led me up the gray stairs.

“Thanks.” Percy grinned at me. “Though, it doesn’t look as big as your house.”

“My house isn’t that big.” I rolled my eyes.

“You’re probably just used to how large your house is,” Percy said, looking ahead so he could see where he was going. “Maybe one day if I could actually go into your house, it’d be the size of a fucking mansion.”

I made a small smile. “It’s not a mansion on the inside, I can tell you that at least.” My smile faltered, as always. “And, I’m sorry that you can’t go into my house. I would actually love having you over.”

Percy glanced back at me, concern filling his stunning emerald eyes. “It’s fine. I’m pretty sure you have a good reason to that, though what it is still remains a mystery to me.”

“I…could tell you if you want me to?” I offered. I just wanted his sadness and worry over me to just go away. I would do anything to make it go away, even if I have to relive my horrible life by retelling it to him. It just shattered my heart just by seeing him look so sad, and I hated it. Why was I always like this around him? I could deny Silena so easily, but him it was just…different. Why did I like Percy so much?

Percy glanced at me, his expression now that of surprise. “Seriously? After all this time of you responding with ‘not important’, you’re going to  _finally_  tell me?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but, once we get inside.”

“Alright.” Percy smiled at me, before turning around to take out some keys from his front pockets, and unlocking one of the white double doors that lead into his house.

Percy pushed the door open and led me inside, his hand  _still_  grabbing onto my wrist. It was driving me crazy that I had so much contact with Percy. Well, it wasn’t a lot, but it was probably all I would get after that weird group hug in the health office.

“Hello, Percy,” I heard a feminine voice greet from the kitchen.

“How was school, Percy?” I heard a masculine voice ask from the living room.

“Percy!” I heard a child’s voice from somewhere deeper within the house.

“Here, come with me,” Percy said as he dragged me to the kitchen by my wrist. “And school was great, Paul!” Percy called into the living room.

“Who’s Paul?” I cocked my head to the side as he led me to his kitchen.

“My step-dad, it’s kind of weird for me to call me ‘step-dad’ when I’ve already had one, one really horrible one. And, this step-dad is the best one ever, so I call him by his first name,” Percy answered. I nodded in response.

When we arrived at the kitchen entrance, which did not have a door leading into it, there was a lady who didn’t look very old. She had straight, long brown hair with only a few gray strands in it, and she smelled of sweets, even though she was washing the dishes. She had laugh and smile lines on her face, and sparkling blue eyes that seemed to change under the lighting they were under.

“Hey, Mom!” Percy called to the woman washing the dishes. “I want you to meet someone.”

The woman turned around and brightly smiled at Percy. “Hello, Percy. Who is this?” She glanced at me.

“This is Nico di Angelo,” Percy introduced me. “And, I have the strangest feeling that ‘Nico di Angelo’ sounds familiar somewhere…but…do you know where?”

“Nice to meet you, Nico.” She nodded her head, the bright smile still on her gorgeous face. “I’m Sally Jackson, please just call me Sally. And, ‘di Angelo’ sounds pretty familiar to me. Though, the reason is vague. I might go look around and see where it came from. When did you guys meet?”

“I guess I met him two days ago.” Percy rubbed the back of his neck. “He was the one playing his violin in the park.”

Sally’s eyes brightened up. “Really?! You must play really well, Nico.”

I nodded my head. “Thank you.” I really wanted to give a small smile or something, but I didn’t want to give a fake smile, and even if I did, Percy would most likely know that it was a fake smile.

Sally’s smile became wider. “You’re always welcome here, Nico, let me tell you that now. A friend of Percy’s becomes part of our family. We tell that to every single friend Percy formally introduces to us.” She glanced at Percy. “And, Percy, you should introduce Nico to Paul, since Paul’s into classical music and all. He would love to meet you, Nico.”

“I know, Mom,” Percy replied with a smile. He turned to me. “Let’s go introduce you to my stepdad, and then I’ll let you meet my younger brother.”

I nodded. “Sure,” I flatly replied.

His hand still on my wrist, he dragged me over to the direction of his living room. When we got there, there was a man who looked like he was in his thirties. He had longish salt-and-pepper hair, and he was currently wearing a brown jacket over a black T-shirt, and brown khakis. He kind of looked like a television actor; he would’ve passed as one. He was currently reading a hardcover book, with the title being The Serpent’s Shadow, by Rick Riordan.

“Hey, Paul!” Percy cheerily greeted as we stepped in front of him. “I want you to meet someone, and I think you’ll like him.”

Paul glanced up at Percy from the book. “Oh hello, Percy. How was school?” He glanced at me. “And, I’m guessing this is who you want to introduce to me.”

Percy nodded excitedly. “School was great, thanks. And, this is Nico di Angelo, the one that was playing the violin in the park yesterday.”

Paul raised both of his eyebrows at me. “Really?” Paul smiled and stared at my violin case that was hanging off my shoulder by the back strap. “And, I’m guessing that is your violin.”

I nodded. “Do you want to see it?”

Paul’s smile widened. “Of course. I’d love to. You know, I’ve even gotten Percy into instrumental music.”

Percy smirked. “He did.”

I swung the violin case off my shoulder and set it carefully on the ground. I got a hold on the zipper and zipped it all the way until the end, and lifted the cover up. I gently picked up the violin from its designated place in the case and handed it to Percy’s step-father.

“This is absolutely beautiful,” Paul commented, amazed and in awe. “Where did you get it?”

“My mother got it from my father for a birthday present, but she gave it to me on my birthday since I loved to play her violin sometimes when I was little,” I replied, remembering the time my mother handed it to me on my ninth birthday. She looked so happy when she saw how bright and excited my expression was. I wish I were like that again, and I wish she were with me like before. Before my father expressed his, what I call “secret hatred”, for me.

Paul smiled at me and handed back the violin after inspecting it. “Does your father like instrumental music as well?”

My lips tilted downward. “I don’t recall ever hearing my father say he liked it, nor has he ever listened to it, but I don’t know.”

Paul nodded, a smile still gracing his face. “Well, you boys go have fun. I’ve been reading this novel that I really enjoy.”

“Paul, whenever I see you, you have a new book.” Percy rolled his eyes with a smirk.

Paul chuckled. “Well, maybe that is true. Nico, do you like reading?”

I nodded in response. “I actually work at the library for part-time.”

“Really?” Paul arched an eyebrow. “I wish I had you for a son. Percy refuses to do work.”

“Hey!” Percy pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, finally removing his grip from my wrist.

Paul chuckled. “It’s true, Percy. Just admit it.”

“He’s right, honey!” Sally called from the kitchen.

“I sometimes wonder why I still love you guys.” Percy smirked. He grabbed my wrist once more and led me up to his stairs. The floor downstairs was wood, but once you ascended the stairs, it turned to a light tan carpet. The rail was perfectly polished wood, and once we got up there, there were five doorways leading to separate rooms.

“Let’s go meet my little brother.” Percy flashed a bright smile at me.

“What’s his name?” I cocked my head to the side as he led me to one of the rooms on the right side of the hall.

“Tyson,” Percy answered. He knocked on the door. “Tyson? Can I come in? I have a friend I want to show you.”

“Friend?!” I heard a child’s voice from inside the room. “Coming!”

“How old is Tyson?” I decided to ask.

“Seven,” Percy replied as the door was opened to reveal a boy who reached up to my lower thigh. Either I was really short, or Tyson was just really tall. I think I was just really short.

“Hey, Tyson.” Percy grinned and ruffled the seven year-old boy’s black hair. “This is Nico, a friend I just made.”

“Hi, Nico!” Tyson cheerily greeted, shaking my free hand very roughly with both of his hands.

“Hi, Tyson,” I managed to greet while my hand was being shaken up and down in rough gesture. “He has a lot of energy,” I pointed out.

Percy laughed. “Yeah, I was like that too.”

“How many people live here? I mean, I’ve only met three other people, but there are five rooms,” I said.

“Well,” Percy drawled, “one of them is the bathroom, and the other is a guest room. Then, there’s my room, Tyson’s room, and the master bedroom. I just have the guest room in case one of our relatives come and visit for a few nights or if one of my friends are staying over.”

I nodded. “Alright.” And, I was so relieved when Tyson stopped shaking my hand, I felt like my hand was going to get ripped right off by a seven year-old boy.

“Do you want something to eat or drink before we head over to my room?” Percy offered.

“No thanks,” I denied, shaking my head. I was really nervous into going into Percy’s room. I mean, how would you feel going into your secret lover’s room? My heart was pounding against my chest, and my hands were sweating. At least I didn’t look nervous, right? Percy wasn’t pointing anything out, so I guessed I looked normal.

“Alright, then, I guess I’ll show you my room.” Percy led me to the room across from Tyson’s and opened the door. “Well, here we are.”


	7. Part 1) Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the inconsistent indentation of each paragraph. I've been fixing it for the past few chapters and for my other stories. But, I still have a whole lot more to upload and fixing the indentation is taking way too long. I'll probably go back and fix it later. I'm sorry about that! It's bothering me a whole lot too.

I can’t believe this was happening. Wait, have I already mentioned that before? Well, whatever. I still can’t believe this was happening.

            Percy’s room was a little messy, but at least it wasn’t so messy that I had the sudden urge to clean it up. There were a few clothing items strewn on the floor, and the bed wasn’t made, but otherwise, it looked pretty clean. There were various posters and pictures hung on the wall, and if I were to describe the room in one word, I would say: blue. The walls were blue, most of the posters were blue, the picture frames were blue, most of the clothes on the ground were blue, the bed was blue, and most of the things on his desk were blue. At least everything wasn’t blue, or I would’ve gotten a massive headache from all the blue. Or, I probably would’ve walked out of this room seeing everything in blue forever.

            “Wow,” was the only coherent thing I could comment.

            Percy chuckled. “I know what you’re thinking. Everything here is  _blue_.”

“Yes actually, that was exactly what I was thinking,” I answered with a smile. My lips tilted downward once I realized I was smiling. Shit, I totally forgot that I told Percy I would tell him everything. Shit shit shit. I didn’t want to do it, but Percy just seemed so sad about it and…I will never be able to keep a secret from my secret lover again.

            Percy frowned at me. “Nico…” he started to say.

            I shook my head. “You…want to know the story, right?”

            “Nico, you don’t…you don’t have to.”

            I shook my head once again. “You wanted to know, right? And anyway, you keep worrying about me, and I hate that.” My next sentence was only a mere murmur. “And, I’m not someone worth worrying over.”

            Percy’s expression was sorrowful. “Nico, if you don’t want to, I won’t force you. I’m just curious. If it makes you feel bad, then I won’t force you into doing it.”

            I sighed. “I’m still going to tell it to you. I’ve made up my mind already.”

            You’re probably wondering: why didn’t I deny his offer? Well, first of all, I  _did_  make up my mind that I was going to tell him no matter what. Secondly, whenever I stopped smiling, I hated seeing that look for forlorn clouding his face, like it has  _his_  fault or something. And thirdly, I hated the thought of him not knowing, like I was keeping a secret from him. And, I wanted to share everything with Percy, not counting the crush on him.

            Percy still looked unsure of the decision I made, but he obliged. “If you want…” Percy led me to his very blue bed before I started my story. We sat down on the edge, while Percy slung his right arm around my shoulder, most likely for comfort. But, I couldn’t help feeling nervous about what Percy would think about the story. Would he think I was lying about it? Would he think I left something out? And secondly, I was really nervous about being so close to Percy. I mean, I did have this huge crush on him and all. But right now, that wasn’t important.

            I took a deep breath, trying to calm my mind, and began my story.

[[Flashback]]

             _“Bye, Mommy! Bye, Sis!” I waved goodbye to the white car backing out of the driveway, and disappearing around a corner._

_My father set his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go inside now, alright? I’ll be in my office working if you need anything.”_

_I nodded excitedly. “Okay, Daddy!” I grinned at him, and he kindly returned a smile._

_He led me inside, shut the door, and locked it. “If someone rings the doorbell, don’t answer the door. Get me instead. Got that, Nico?”_

_I nodded. “Got it!”_

_He smiled warmly at me. “Okay. Don’t be too loud while you’re playing around. I don’t want you disturbing the neighbors. They can be rude if they wanted to be.”_

_I nodded once more. “Okay!”_

_He nodded, a smile still gracing his face before he strode out of the living room and up the stairs of our house._

_My father was downstairs in the kitchen when the phone suddenly rang throughout the house. I was watching television while playing Mythomagic—a card game I was seriously obsessed with. And when I say “seriously obsessed with”, I am not joking. I had almost every single pack, even the super rare and special packs and cards._

_The phone stopped ringing, and I inferred that my father picked up the phone. I was staring off in the direction of the kitchen, wondering what the phone call was for. I shrugged it off. My father and my mother usually got phone calls from their work place, so I didn’t think the phone call was all that important._

_And, well, I was totally wrong._

_My father calmly walked into the living room, his footsteps tapping against the wood flooring of our house. I glanced up at him from my Mythomagic cards with a puzzled expression on my face, silently asking him what the phone call was about. But, my father didn’t budge. I could see in his eyes that he was angry—furious even—but he seemed to be attempting to control his anger, and not explode._

_“Nico, get in the car,” my father quietly—but dangerously—commanded me._

_I set my cards down onto the ground and pressed the power button on the TV remote, turning off the TV. I pushed myself off the ground and dusted my clothes off. “What’s wrong, Daddy? Where are we going?”_

_“Nico, just get in the car,” he repeated, his voice sounding angrier than before._

_“But—”_

_He wasn’t very patient today, even though he was always a calm and patient man. Today, I didn’t know what was up with him though. He took me by the waist and threw me over my shoulders.  My eyes widened and I attempted to wiggle out his grasp, but his grip on my waist only tightened the more I struggled. He stomped to the car and threw me into the back seat, shutting the door very loudly. He got into the front seat of the black car, slammed the door shut, backed out of the driveway, and sped away at top speed to somewhere I didn’t know of. I was getting dragged to an unknown destination. What was up with today?_

_We arrived at the hospital. The whole car ride, I was staring at my daddy with both a pleading and perplexed expression. I wanted to know what was happening, and I hated being left out in the dark._

_Well, at that time, I didn’t know I would have to get used to being left out in the dark._

_My daddy got out of the car and slammed his door shut. He dangerously stalked over to my side of the car, gently opening the car door, and offering me a hand. I stared at him with a bewildered expression this time, but I took the hand because I didn’t want to be carried over the shoulder into the hospital this time. He shut the door and led me over to the hospital building._

_The doors were glass, but automatic, so the opened automatically when my daddy and I stepped up to it. When we stepped inside, the hospital was pretty empty, but there were still a few people in there. My daddy stepped up to the front desk, and the receptionist glanced up at us from a really thick book—not as thick as the Bible though, I could tell you that for sure._

_The receptionist had striking red hair, with eyes as silver as mist. She was wearing a doctor’s coat, so I guessed she was a receptionist and a doctor. She was also pretty tall and had thin black glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Her name tag read “Lupa Amulius”._

_“Hello,” she put on a strained smile, so I could tell she was obviously bored. Well, I would be too, if I was just sitting there at the front desk with barely and business. “How may I help you, gentlemen?”_

_“I’m here to visit my wife and my daughter: Maria and Bianca di Angelo,” my daddy requested. Wait, we were here to see Mother and Sis? Why? What happened?_

_I glanced at my daddy, but he was avoiding my face, and instead, staring right at the receptionist for a reply._

_Lupa nodded, glancing up from a few sheets of paper scrambled on her desk. “Oh, alright. It says that Bianca di Angelo is in Room 307, and Maria di Angelo is in Room 308. Only family members are allowed at this time.” She glanced and pointed at me. “So, is this your son?” The receptionist directed at my daddy._

_My daddy nodded. “Yes, and thank you.”_

_Lupa only nodded in response as she watched my daddy grasp my wrist, leading me toward the elevator, and board it. She had unsettling eyes as she stared at me like she knew my future and what was going to happen to me._

_I never saw Lupa again._

_When the elevator door opened up to a new floor, my daddy walked out of the silver doors, not sparing a glanced towards my direction to make sure I was still there. He walked along in the hallway, scanning the golden numbers on the doors, most likely looking for “307” and “308”. I was just looking around the hospital, admiring the scene._

_The hospital was mostly white, and it was perfectly white as if it were newly built. The doors were white, with golden numbers inscribed into the door. The doorknobs of the doors were also golden—perfectly polished. The floor was white tile with a tint of blue in them, and the hallway seemed to go on forever. A few doctors and nurses rushed by, but otherwise, I didn’t see anyone else in the hallway._

_My daddy halted in front of a door: Room 307. As I recall, my sis was in this room. But the question was: why was she in this room that belonged to the_ hospital _?_

_My daddy pushed open the door and stepped inside. I timidly walked behind him, half cowering behind my daddy, and half looking into the hospital room that apparently inhabited my sis, Bianca, or Bia._

_The hospital room was also mostly white, matching the hallway. The room was split so that it could inhabit two people in the room, with a thick, blue curtain in the middle of the room. The half that we could currently see inhabited Bia. She was in a white bed with a white dress with faint blue, vertical, and thin stripes on that people usually wore at the hospital. The bed was queen size, with a silver bed frame. EEG wires with “stickers” at the end were connected to her head—for any signs of a concussion. Her right leg was held up by a supporter that hung from the ceiling, and Bia’s right leg was wrapped in a blue cast. She was conscious, and when we stepped in, she carefully turned her head towards us and smiled._

_“Dad! N-Nico!” She exclaimed, though she couldn’t move out of her position on the bed._

_Daddy immediately rushed over to her, with me at his heels. “Bianca…what happened?!” He demanded._

_“When Mom and I were on our way back to the house, this truck drove out from a place full of stores and started driving on the wrong street. Mom and I were the first to crash into him, and a few more as well. Policemen came in and told me the truck driver was drunk. I’m pretty sure they told Mom too, but she…” Bia’s voice faltered. A tear found its way down her cheek. “Mom tried to protect me before we crashed. She knew we wouldn’t be able to escape or dodge the crash, so she jumped in front of me before we crashed.” Tears were now rushing down. “I couldn’t…she was so…I just—”_

_“Calm down, Bianca.” Daddy placed his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me, are you okay?”_

_“I’m…” She sniffled, “fine…but Mom—”_

_“We’ll worry about her later, alright?” Daddy’s hands grasped more firmly on Bia’s shoulders._

_She sniffled once more, letting the tears run down her cheeks, but she nodded silently._

_Daddy let go of her shoulders, and he glanced at me._

_No tears were running down my cheeks, but I felt horrible. My teeth were gritted, and I was more furious than sad. My hands were clenched tightly into fists, and I was visibly shaking. That horrible truck driver. Why did he have to do such a thing? I was feeling so horrible, like this was my entire fault, even though it wasn’t. A wave of warmth washed over me from my sadness, but I was still feeling more furious than ever in my ten years of life. If Bia looked like this…then…what did Mommy look like?_

_“Can we...see Mommy?” I hesitantly asked my daddy._

_He nodded quietly. He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. Without turning around, he told Bia, “Make sure it doesn’t happen, promise me, Bianca.”_

_I glanced over my shoulder at Sis, and saw Bia nod. “I promise, Dad.”_

_He led me out the door, with his hand on my right shoulder. I never knew what “it” was, but the next day, “it” actually happened._

_We went to the next room: Room 308. I was hesitant and scared about seeing Mommy. What did she look like? How much did she suffer? How much pain was she currently enduring? But, Daddy was anxious to see her. He pushed open the door without a glance at the room number. He waltzed straight into the room and towards the bed that currently held my mommy._

_Mommy was wearing the same thing as Sis, but her right leg wasn’t supported and held up by a cast._ Both _of her legs were supported and held up, but instead of a blue cast, they were thick, white casts. There were many stitches all over her skin—from her chin, cheeks, forehead, and arms. EEG wires with “stickers” at the end were connected to her forehead where there weren’t any stitches A blood bag hung from a gray stander sat next to her bedside, with a wire running from the end of the blood bag that connected to her left forearm. She looked so weak and frail, and I hated it. She was barely conscious, not looking as well as Bia._

_“Maria…” Daddy rushed over to Maria’s bedside and knelt down, gently caressing her face._

_“Honey…I…I’m sorry,” Mommy managed to make out. Her voice sounded weak as well, like her throat was crushed into a tight fist—a fist as tightly clenched as mine were. It sounded as she hadn’t talked in years, which made it all the worse because she talked to me perfectly fine this morning._

_“Don’t speak, it’ll make you worse,” Daddy informed, wiping a tear that was making its way down Mommy’s face._

_She managed a nod, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall, not even making an attempt to wipe them away. Daddy just knelt there, examining every part of her face as if it would make her feel better again like this morning. It was eerily quiet in the hospital room, and it looked exactly the same as Bia’s hospital room._

_After what seemed like a few moments, I realized my face was wet. I slowly released one of my tightly clenched fists and gently touched my face, as if it were extremely wounded like Mommy’s. I examined my fingers once the contact between my fingers and my face was lost, and I realized I was crying. The tears were running down non-stop, and I couldn’t stop them no matter how much I tried to wipe them away. So I just stood there, letting the tears drip down my chin, as I watched Mommy’s and Daddy’s silent scene._

_Mommy’s eyes flickered over to me. “Ni—Nico…come here to Mommy.”_

_My eyes widened at the sight of Mommy’s expression. It looked so broken like she’s seen Hell itself. Her face was full of stitches and bandages, and her eyes were full of pain and sorrow. Her lips were tilted down, but I could see she was trying to make an effort to smile at me, to make me feel better and not cry. But, it wasn’t working. I cried more just by seeing her like this. Neither Bia nor Mommy deserved this. What did they do in life to make this happen? They’ve never done anything wrong, so why was this happening to them?_

_I stumbled over next to my daddy and knelt beside her. She tried to reach up and caress my cheek, but Daddy’s other hand found hers, and he held it there in place._

_“Mommy…are you…are you going to be…okay?” I asked her with wide eyes._

_“I will, sweetie. Everything will be okay,” She replied with a tiny smile—probably the biggest smile she could even make. I knew she was lying, she surely didn’t look okay. I knew she was just saying that to make me feel better, but I couldn’t help but feeling my heart shatter from hearing my mommy lie. She never lied. She always had this warm and tender smile to her gorgeous face. I knew it was so she could make me feel better, but I couldn’t help feeling bad about how Mommy lied just to make me feel better._ I _didn’t need any comforting, my mommy needed it more._

_Mommy glanced at Daddy. “Honey, please, take care of Bianca and Nico. I don’t want them…to have the same fate as me. Please, for me. They’re my children—our children. I hate to…put this all on you…to take care of them. I’m so…so sorry—”_

_Daddy silenced her with a tender kiss to her lips. A light, but passionate, kiss. I felt like intruding by staring at them, so I looked away and instead, stared at the blank, white ground. The ground that expressed absolutely nothing—no feeling, just stories full of sorrow from recent patients at the hospital. The life that I would soon have. But at the time, I never knew._

_When I glanced back at my parents, my eyes widened so much, I thought they would bulge out. Daddy was tucking a strand of hair that fell over my mommy’s face behind her ear, but my mommy’s eyes were nowhere to be seen. Her eyelids were closed, and the only breathing I heard came from my daddy and me. Her whole body was relaxed—yet, limp. And, I was old enough to know what this meant when in a hospital._

_“Daddy—”_

_“Don’t, Nico. Don’t.”_


	8. Part 1) Chapter Seven

“Nico, you don’t—”

            “I’m not…I’m not done…”

            Tears were flowing nonstop down my face like the day when I saw my mother die. I tried to hide them with my bangs, but Percy obviously knew I was crying. My hands were clenched in my lap, and they were visibly shaking. I didn’t even make an attempt to wipe them away. The tears dripped from my chin down to my hands, and my teeth were clenched tightly together. I didn’t spar a glanced at Percy; I didn’t want him to see me like this.  It was pathetic.

            “You don’t have to…you can stop if you want,” Percy offered.

            I shook my head from side to side. “I promised I…would tell you the whole thing, right?”

            “Nico, this is obviously breaking you. I hate seeing you like this. I understand, you can stop now.”

            I couldn’t see Percy’s face, but I knew he had that sorrowful look to his face, like it was  _his_  fault. “I’m not going…to stop.”

            Percy added another arm around me, so he was hugging me now. “I hate seeing you like this. You can continue the story if you want, but you don’t deserve any of this, Nico.”

            I wanted to tell him that I  _do_  deserve it, but I decided against it. “After my mother died, we…we went back to Bianca. My father told her that my mother,” my voice cracked, “passed away. Bianca cried for what seemed like…like hours. But when she stopped, we l—left.

            “In the morning of…of the next day, at around five, my father…he….he received another phone call. I was asleep then, and my father planned to keep…to keep me that way. He didn’t want me to know that…that…” I couldn’t say the next part. My voice died on me whenever I tried.

            “I understand, Nico.” Percy was rubbing comforting circles on my back. “Continue from after that part.”

            I nodded. Since when did I start crying onto Percy’s shoulder? I ignored the fact, but I didn’t hug him back. “When I woke up, my father, he was…he wasn’t in the house. I looked all over f—for him, but I couldn’t…I couldn’t find him. I thought he went back to the…to the hospital to see Bianca, so I waited for him.”

            I ended up clinging onto Percy like it depended on my life. “When he came back, it was…it was four in the after…afternoon. I asked where he went, but he…he refused to tell me. The only thing he said was, we were…to go to a funeral for, for  _two_  people.”

            The tears flowed down my face even faster than I thought possible onto Percy’s shoulder. “I asked why two people…but he just shook his head and gave me a sym—sympathetic look. Later in the day, I asked to see…to see Bianca again. But he said it wasn’t poss—possible. I thought he meant the hospital didn’t…didn’t allow anyone at the time. But the t—time was only ten at night. I just…let it slide by.

            “That night…I was thinking about my mother. And that’s when…that’s when I realized…Bianca…she—”

            “You don’t have to say it, Nico,” Percy assured me.

            I cried for awhile onto Percy’s shoulders at the thought, before I replied, “I don’t think…I can say it.

            “When my father and I went…to the funeral a week later, I cried…so much, my father guessed that I…that I found out about the s—second p—person. I wished I never…never found out.

            “A few weeks later, I was… _still_  crying about them. My father knocked on my door. He left me alone for those weeks. He left food outside my…my door for me to eat. I was so happy that…my father was still with me. But I—I was s—so wrong about…about that.

            “When he knocked on m—my door, he told me we were moving to New York. I didn’t reply, but I didn’t think...think he was kidding. So I, packed. It was hard…packing with tr—trembling hands. B—but I managed.

            “My f—father packed everything else in…in the house, and the furniture in my room. He didn’t bother asking me…asking me for help. He did it all by him—himself. Four or five months l—later, we moved to New York by…by car. I didn’t know why…but I…I was to depr—depressed to ask.

            “After everything was put into pl—place in our new house, my father left me alone a—again. I never stopped crying until I…I turned twelve. He didn’t force me to go to school or…or anything.

            “When I finally got…got over it, I came out of my room. My father was downstairs watching TV. He came up to me and hugged me…so tightly, and told me everything…everything will be okay. When he let me go, he smiled at me, and p—patted my head.

            “Afterwards, the next day, he enrolled me into a school. When I was walking into the school, he hugged me and smiled at me a—again. I didn’t know that would be the…the last smile I would ever see from him…from him again.

            “I walked home, so when…when I came home. My father punched me. I didn’t…I didn’t know why, but he started yelling at me. He yelled at me that…that I should’ve been the one to die. He yelled I was the worst out of the whole f—family, and that Bianca should’ve lived in…in exchanged for me.

            “From that day for—forward. He beat me up, every single time he…he saw me. It was like something possessed…him or something. So, I tried to av—avoid him. And my life has been…been like that ever since. He’s called me a failure b—but I never knew  _what_  I did. But I never…yelled back at my father.

            “I did…once. He looked at me like…like I was a dead and appalling animal. He broke some of my…ribs and my sh—shoulder. I still have to pay off the…the cost at the hospital. I went there secret—secretly. I begged the doctors to not tell my f—father. He still doesn’t…know.”

            I silently sobbed into Percy’s shoulder for what seemed like hours. Percy’s shoulder was drenched with my tears, but he made no attempt to push me away. He held me there, rubbing soothing circles on my back. The only thing heard throughout the room was my sniffling. I’m just glad I had Percy to help me through this time, even if it was sympathy.

* * *

 

            I woke up, with no clue of my whereabouts. I was pretty sure I was in my room, but the bed was way too comfortable. I didn’t open my eyes when I woke up, but I was too tired to open them. Until I realized that someone’s hand was playing with my hair.

            I bolted up and realized I was laying on someone. I also realized that this was not my room. It was  _way_  too blue. I looked down with wide eyes and ended up finding my secret lover: Percy Jackson.

            “Oh hey, you’re awake.” Percy pushed himself up until he was sitting in an upright position next to me.

            “How did I get here?” I was scanning the room until my eyes fell upon Percy once again. His hair was pointing in different directions, but that just made him all the more appealing to me.

            Percy had a quizzical expression on his handsome face. “What are you talking about? You fell asleep here.”

            “I…did?” I cocked my head to the side.

            “Yeah.” Percy eyed me weirdly. “I asked you to come over my house after school, and I introduced you to everyone here. You then told me about…” Percy hesitated, “your story.”

            My bewildered expression disappeared. I thought that was all a dream. Meeting Percy Jackson and everyone else, and them trying to become friends with me. I didn’t think all of that was real.

            “Of course it was all real,” Percy said out of the blue.

            I glanced up at Percy with a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?” It sounded as if Percy just read my mind. “And by the way, how long was I asleep?”

            Percy rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Well, you fell asleep at around four or five, and right now, it’s ten at night. And, you just said that you thought meeting me and the others was all a dream,” Percy explained.

            I looked up at him with wide eyes. “I said that?” I pointed at myself. Did my mouth decide to voice all of my thoughts?

            Percy smiled down at me. “You are so weird, Nico. Of course you said that.”

            I blinked blankly at Percy. “Oh,” I flatly replied, “well, that was involuntary. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

            He chuckled at ruffled my already messed-up hair. “It’s alright. It happens all the time, even for me. That’s why my parents know so much about me now.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Wow,” I flatly responded. I swung my legs over Percy’s blue bed until my feet touched the ground. “I think I’m going to go home now.” I glanced at Percy. “See you at school, I guess.” I was pushing myself off the bed when I felt Percy’s hand grab mine. I glanced at him. “What?” I asked him. I was trying really hard not to blush in front of him.

            “You’re  _not_  going home after what you just told me,” Percy answered with an unnaturally serious tone to his voice.

            “What are you talking about?” I turned so that my whole body faced him.

            “After everything you told me, and everything I heard you say about your dad? I’m not letting you go back to your house while he’s there. If I can stop all of the pain you’re enduring, then the least I can do is stop your dad from abusing you. And one way to do that is by not going back to your house.” Percy smiled up at me. “You can stay here if you want. We have that extra guest room that I talked about earlier.”

            I stared at him with the completely bewildered expression across my face again. “Are…are you serious?”

            “As plain as day,” he replied. “I’m not kidding, Nico. You’ve been through a lot. And, I don’t want to see you suffer anymore.”

            I scoffed. “Seriously? We just met. I don’t even think we’re considered as close friends, and now you’re offering me a place to stay at your house. How do you even know that I can be trusted?”

            Percy continued to smile at me. “I think we’re considered close friends now, since you just told me a part of your past life that you’ve refused to tell anybody. And, you trust me with that story, since I know you don’t want me to tell that to just anybody. So, if you trust me, then I trust you.”

            I continued to stare at him like he grew a second head. I didn’t even know my mouth was hanging open until I talked again. “You…are absolutely unbelievable, Percy,” I replied slowly.

            Percy shrugged. “I get that a lot. So, are you going to stay?”

            I sighed. How was this going to turn out? If I rejected, Percy would be really depressed, and I would keep getting abused by my father again. If I accepted, Percy would most likely find out about my crush on him. And, what would life turn out to be if I stayed at my  _crush’s_  house?

            My lips tilted downward at my answer. “Fine, I will. But, first off, I don’t have my stuff here. Second of all, do your parents even know?”

            Percy seemed to be deep in thought, until he replied, “I’ll ask my mom and Paul if you can start living here. Just wait.” He released his grip on my hand, opened the door, and walked outside into the direction of his parents.

            I stood there, my gaze still fixed onto the door Percy just left out of. Did that really just happen? Am I really going to stay here at my secret lover’s house? How exactly was this going to turn out? My life just totally made a turn. My life seems so different now, now that I had  _friends_. It was weird, thinking that someone actually cared about me, after all those five years that I had suffered. Either that, or they were just giving me sympathy, something that I refused to take.

            After a couple of minutes, Percy walked in with a grin plastered onto his face.

            “I’m guessing they said yes,” I guessed as Percy stood in front of me.

            Percy nodded. “They did. That makes it official that you’re staying here. And as for your stuff...do you have a window installed in your room?”

            I raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

            “Do you have a window in your room?” Percy asked again.

            “Well, yeah but, what does having a window in my room have to do with getting my—” I stopped as the gears in my head began turning.

            Percy smirked as he realized what I was thinking. “ _Exactly_. This is going to be  _so_  enjoyable. Just watch, Nico.”

            “I can’t believe we are doing this, Percy.”

            “You don’t believe in a lot of things, do you, Nico?”

            “Well, yeah, that’s because I’ve never snuck into  _my own room_!”

            Apparently, Percy’s plan was to sneak into my room to gather all my things before my father finds out about it. And that was why we needed the window.  _That_  was our secret entrance into my room. Who knew Percy’s step-dad would agree to Percy borrowing his ladder for an unknown reason? His parents must really trust Percy.

            “I am so glad you didn’t lock your window.” Percy breathed a sigh of relief after he hauled me up into my room.

            “That’s because I didn’t think there would be anyone as crazy as you.” I rolled my eyes at him.

            Percy smirked. “Well, excuse me for my craziness.”

            I sighed. “Well, let’s just start. I’m not going to pack  _everything_ , or we would be making more than one trip.”

            Percy nodded, examining my room. “Agreed. And, you have a really big room. I told you your house is a mansion.”

            I rolled my eyes again. “It is not.”

            My room was bigger than an average bedroom, I’ll admit it. But, I still think Percy was exaggerating when he said it was as big as a mansion. Instead of the room being blue, it was black. My super uncomfortable bed was black, the walls were black, the giant circle rug centered on the floor was black, my desks were black, my laptop was black, my bookshelf was black, my electric guitar was black (yes, I play the guitar as well), my violin case along with the violin was black, my amplifier was black, and the posters hung on my walls were black.

            “You play the guitar too?!” Percy exclaimed as his gaze fell upon my black electric guitar.

            “Yeah,” I flatly responded. I glanced at my posters. “So, is that guest room mine now, or am I just borrowing it?”

            Percy scoffed. “Are you kidding? You’re moving in with me now. It’s obviously your room now.”

            “Alright, then I guess I’ll take my posters. And, I’ll have to do something with the room being blue.”

            “You know, I can’t tell if you’re trying to be funny or not because you don’t smile.” Percy walked up to me, bent down until we were at eye level, and pinched my cheeks. “You should smile more, you know. You look se—” he cleared his throat “—better when you smile.”

            My eyebrows knit together while I stared at Percy, but I let it slide. I slapped his hands pinching my cheeks away. “We can’t stay here forever, can we? Now come on, let’s pack some of my stuff.”

            Percy nodded, getting back to his full height. “Okay, tell me what to pack.”

            “Okay. Well, I’m going to be packing my own clothes. But for now, get the posters, my violin, guitar, amplifier, books…”

            After we finished packing my stuff, my father miraculously didn’t know we snuck in. We were  _very_  loud in my room. Percy’s theory was that the house was so big, my father couldn’t hear us. I only rolled my eyes at his stupid theory.

            We climbed down the ladder and went home, carrying a bunch of my stuff, while dragging the ladder behind us. Good thing Percy didn’t live very far.

            Percy opened the door, since he asked his mother and his stepfather to leave it open for us, and we stepped inside. Percy dropped the ladder in front of the door, and locked the front door we came in through.

            “I’ll just put the ladder away later after we drop your stuff off into your new room,” Percy said.

            We trudged up the stairs in silence, until we made it to the guest room. It was as big as Percy’s bedroom, and there wasn’t a lot of furniture in there but a bed, a desk, a TV, drawers, a closet, and a lamp. Percy and I dropped my stuff onto the ground and I let out a sigh of relief.

            “I’m going to go put the ladder back where I found it, and tell Paul I returned it safely. On the other hand, you can start unpacking. I’ll help you when I’m done, okay?”

            I nodded as Percy retreated my new room.


	9. Part 1) Chapter Eight

“We can always paint your room tomorrow,” Percy suggested as we walked to school together.

I shrugged. “I guess. Are you even willing to help me paint my room? You seem like a lazy person.”

“Hey, if I get to bond with you, then I’ll do absolutely anything.”

Today was Friday, and yesterday on Thursday was the day when Percy and I snuck into my own room. After Percy put away the ladder, he helped me unpack my things like he promised. It was silent while we were unpacking my stuff, and the majority of that reason was that we were both exhausted. So we unpacked my stuff as quickly as we could and then drifted right off to sleep afterward. Percy was so tired he couldn’t go back to his own room, so he slept on the floor of my new room.

“I am so sore today, I hate it. Good thing football practice isn’t until Sunday.” Percy yawned.

I rolled my eyes. “That’s why I told you to sleep in a bed, not the floor.”

“You wouldn’t share your bed with me!”

“Well, of course not! Haven’t heard of personal space?!”

Percy only pouted at my response, and I just rolled my eyes.

When we arrived at school, I was planning on darting away and into my own little world by the tree in the field, but Percy had other plans for me. He grabbed my wrist before I can even commence my darting-away-plan.

I stared up at him with a confused, but fake, expression. “Why are you holding onto my wrist? If you want to hold onto someone, go find Annabeth.” I yanked my wrist out of his grasp.

Percy looked a little hurt by my gesture, but he rolled his eyes. “I know you were planning on running away from me once we got to school. I’m not  _that_  stupid.”

“Really? Never noticed.”

Percy playfully shoved me in the shoulder and pouted once more. “You are so mean, Nico.”

I shrugged. “I get that a lot. That’s why I never hang out with people. I’m not a person that’s very good at getting along with others.”

“You got along with me and the others just fine.”

“You guys tried four times to become friends with me, of course I got along fine with you after four times,” I remarked.

“Hey, you seemed like a great guy to be friends with!” Percy defended.

My lips tilted downward. “Did I?”

Percy rolled his eyes once more. “Nico, Nico, Nico. You aren’t very bright when it comes to complimenting you, are you?”

“Well, no,” I flatly replied. “I’m not used to getting praise so often, so I don’t really know the difference between compliments and trying to be nice. I usually think you guys are just trying to be nice to me since I got beaten up by Castellan and all.”

Percy sighed. “You—are—hopeless.”

Before I attempt to escape again, Percy grabbed my wrist once more and dragged me to where his other friends were.

“You’ve never even met all of my friends yet, and I think it’s finally time you do,” Percy said.

“Sorry, but I don’t like being around a lot of people.”

“If we have to, we’ll introduce you to the ones you haven’t met yet one by one.”

I rolled my eyes. “And you call  _me_  the hopeless one. I don’t see how your friends can keep up with all of your crazy ideas.”

Percy smirked. “You’ll get used to it soon.”

“I don’t think I ever will,” I sighed. “And by the way, I already know all of your friends.”

Percy stopped and stared at me with a bewildered expression on his face. “You do?”

“Just their names.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t count.”

When we arrived at Percy’s big group of friends, I wasn’t very prepared for a tackle that almost knocked me to the ground.

I staggered backward, trying to contain my balance. “ _Uh_ , hello?” I didn’t know who it was, but I had a guess that was most likely right.

“Nico!” I heard Silena squeal. Yep, my suspicions have been confirmed. “I missed you!”

I rolled my eyes, not even attempting to hug her back. “It’s been a day, calm down. I feel like a celebrity, something I do  _not_  want to be.”

Silena pulled back an arms length away, her hands on my shoulders. She grinned wide at me, showing her perfectly straight and white teeth. “I know it’s been a day, but we should totally hang out more! I barely know anything about you!”

“And I plan to keep it that way,” I grumbled.

Silena pouted. “Hey, I want to share some secrets with you too! You’ve been hanging out an awful lot with Percy. Why not me?!” She whined.

“Sharing involves two people, which means you’ve got to share some secrets with me,” I remarked. “And I have the strangest feeling you don’t have any secrets.”

Silena tilted her head to the side. “Why’s that?”

“Because you’re a big mouth,” All of her friends around her replied—including me.

Silena jumped and stared at everyone with wide eyes. “Hey!” She protested.

A guy of African-American decent smirked. “I am already liking Nico.”

As I recall, his name was Charles Beckendorf, though everyone just calls him by his surname.  He was really muscular and really tall, I was always afraid I would get crushed under his feet. I wonder if he had an intimidating presence during a football game. He had big hands that reminded me of catcher’s mitts like in softball or baseball. His hands were also calloused, but that was because, in his free time, he liked to invent machines with Leo Valdez and Jake Mason. They had a pretty strong bond when it came to building things.

Jake Mason had flat, short brown hair that was styled so that it looked like a proper schoolboy’s haircut from a rich private school.  He was as tall as Percy and had hazel eyes. He also had calloused hands from building inventions, but they weren’t as big as Beckendorf’s. He typically wore nicer clothing than most people, and today he was wearing a dark blue cardigan over a navy blue shirt with white stripes and black skinny jeans. He also wore a pair of dark blue  _Vans_  that matched his cardigan.

Silena sighed, shaking her head while swinging an arm around my shoulders. “I don’t know why I’m friends with you guys.”

“Hey, I know you love me.” Beckendorf gave her a genuine smile.

Silena blushed. “I know I do, and I know you love me too.”

Leo groaned. “This happens every single day. Get a—wait a second you guys already have. You guys do it way too many times if you ask me.” Beckendorf and Silena blushed deeply at Leo’s remark.

“For one of the first times in my life, I am agreeing with Leo,” Reyna said. “And you guys all know that me agreeing with Leo is pretty rare.”

“Hurtful.” Leo pouted. Reyna only rolled her eyes.

“We don’t do it  _that_  much, do we?” Silena asked everyone, but no one replied.

Jake laughed. “Nico just met you and he already disagrees with that!”

Silena glanced at me hopefully, but I shrugged. “I bet it’s true,” I said.

And the day continued on like that…once I met everyone, of course.

After school, Percy and I walked home together after we said goodbye to everyone. Percy swung an arm around me, but I had to try really hard to not blush. I also had to try to not explode with jealousy at school whenever Annabeth and Percy were being intimate with each other.

“So, how was school?” Percy asked me, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know, ask yourself,” I replied. “You were around me almost 24/7 anyway. You would not leave me alone for a second, only when I had to go to class you would.”

Percy chuckled. “Well yeah, I mean, if I let you off on your own, you would run away and hide from until the end of the day.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’ll see me at home.”

“Well, yeah,” Percy agreed. “But I don’t want to pretend to not know you whenever we’re at school even though we live in the same household now.”

“Well, why not?” I glanced up at him, trying to get his arm around my shoulders off. But, he wouldn’t budge.

Percy sighed. “You just don’t get it, do you?”

I knit my eyebrows. “Get what?”

Percy stopped and stared at me with an unnaturally serious expression plastered onto his face. “You really don’t see what I’m trying to do?”

I frowned at him. “No, no I don’t. Tell me, Percy. What are you trying to do? Give me sympathy?”

Percy sighed. “No, I’m not. I can tell you don’t want sympathy. I’m trying to be friends with you. Is it really that hard to see?”

I exhaled. “Yes, it is actually. I think that anyone who wants to be my friend is just giving me sympathy, and I hate it. I don’t need it. Why would anyone want to be friends with someone like—”

I never got to finish, because the next thing I knew, I felt hot, stinging pain on the side of my face. I brought my hand up to the side of my face, and I realized that Percy slapped me.

I glared up at him, but my voice failed me. But, what did I even want to say? Why did you slap me? What was that for? I couldn’t bring myself to be mean to Percy, after all he’s given me. That’s why I hated accepting sympathy. I could never bring myself to be mean to the other person, even though the other person probably never cared about me. That other person was just giving me pity, and I hated that. Plus, Percy was my secret lover, and I hated that as well. Why did Percy have to be so…perfect?

Percy still had that unnaturally serious expression on, and his voice was serious as well. “Why would anyone want to be friends with you? Is that what you wanted to say?” His voice also sounded angry, but I didn’t want to think about it. “Why are you so harsh on yourself, Nico? Just because you had a harsh life, doesn’t mean it’ll be kept that way. Everything changes, even your life. Nico, you’re smart, funny, talented, easy to get along with, nice, kind, yet you have no self-confidence or self-esteem. I could go on and on about all the good things about you. I’d defend you no matter what if anyone bad-mouthed you. You mean a lot to me, even if we just met four days ago. I want to be the one that’ll make you smile without that look of sadness right afterward. I want to be that one person who would brighten up your day whenever you see me. I want to be the person who would make your life better, and make you think about yourself better than just a worthless, pathetic, and useless being. I used to think that about myself too, and I hate that someone I care about feels that way about themselves. When I met Annabeth, she was the one that made me feel better about myself. Now, I want to do that to you. Do you understand why I’m trying so hard now? I want to get it nailed into your brain.” Percy sighed, the anger and seriousness leaving his face. “Look, I’m sorry for slapping you, and I’m sorry for sounding so mean. I just…I guess I got out of control, huh?” Percy removed my hand from my face and inspected it. He then put his own hand there in replace of mine and started massaging my cheek. I had to try so hard at this moment to not jump him right then and there. “Did it hurt? I’m really sorry, Nico. But when you belittle yourself like that, you don’t know how bad it makes me feel, even if it’s not even directed to me. Are you okay?”

I silently nodded, removing his hand from my face so that I didn’t have to worry about blushing so much. Did Percy really care that much for me? It was a question I would never be able to answer. “I’m fine, and I’m sorry for making you feel that way. I never mean it.”

Percy shook his head. “It’s fine. But, I have a question.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, raising my hand to my cheek again. “What is it?”

“Why do you hate human contact from me so much?”

At this point, I was trying to control my breathing and the beating of my heart, which was beating way too fast. I couldn’t just tell him that I have had a secret crush on him since I first laid eyes on him. So I decided to play innocent. “What are you talking about?”

Percy sighed. “Well, whenever I put my arm around you or something, you always push it away. Like just now, you pushed my hand away when I was massaging your cheek after I slapped it. So I thought that you just hated human contact, and I thought it was because you were abused so much. But, earlier today, I noticed that Silena hugged you and put her arm around you, yet you didn’t make an attempt you push it away. You didn’t even look uncomfortable when it happened. So, I came to the conclusion that you hate contact from just me. But this whole day, I was wondering why you hate it. So, I just decided to ask you directly.”

I gulped. I couldn’t lie to him after all he’s done for me. But, I couldn’t tell him the truth either. I mean, what would he think of me? I sighed, deciding that I just couldn’t tell him. “I…I can’t tell you, Percy. I’m sorry.”

Percy sighed again, but this time, that look of forlorn that I always hated clouded his face. Why did Percy have such an effect on me? I hate it, but I couldn’t tell him that I liked him. I planned on never telling him.

“It’s alright,” Percy replied, though I could obviously tell that he  _wasn’t_  alright. “Let’s just get home. It’s Friday now, so we can do whatever we want. How about we hang out after we drop our backpacks and stuff off at home?”

I nodded. “Sure, why not?”

When we got home—well, to my new home—we heard Percy’s mom, Sally, exclaim, “Percy! Nico! Come here for a second!”

Percy and I glanced at each other, but Percy shrugged. “Okay, Mom!” Percy replied, staring off in the direction where her voice came from. “But, where are you?”

“I’ll be in the attic!” Percy’s mom answered. “Come meet me there after you drop your stuff off!”

“You heard her,” Percy said to me.

We jogged up the stairs and deposited out stuff in our rooms. I waited outside in the hallway for Percy, since I had no absolute clue as to where the attic was. Percy came out of his room and saw me waiting there. He probably took the hint that I didn’t know where the attic was. He smiled and led me to the end of the hallway, where there was a ladder leading up to the ceiling.

“You can go up first,” Percy offered.

I courteously nodded at him. “Thanks.”

I climbed up the ladder, and after a few more steps up, I heard Percy climb onto the ladder behind me. When I reached the top, I offered my hand down to help Percy up. He stared at my hand like it had something wrong with it, but he soon smiled at me and took the hand. I hauled him up and looked around the attic afterward.

The attic was a bit dusty, but not as dusty as my attic at my used-to-be-home. It was dim, and there were many boxes lying around here and there, crowding up the attic. Many of the boxes had something written on the side in black marker, but it was too dim to read what was inscribed. The attic was wood, with not paint covering the walls or the floors. Good thing I was wearing shoes because the floor was really dusty.

Percy tapped on my shoulder, getting my attention, and he led me to the right, where I found Percy’s mom kneeling beside an open box, full of long and wide books that looked like photograph books. One of the photograph books was in Sally’s hands.

“What’s up, Mom?” Percy asked once we reached her.

“I found it,” Sally answered like it answered all of the world’s problems.

Percy furrowed his brows and tilted his head to the side. “What’d you find?”

Sally sighed, still not taking her eyes off a certain page in the photograph book. “Well, I had free time on my hand, so I decided to find out why ‘di Angelo’ sounds so familiar to us. And, well, I finally found it.”


	10. Part 1) Chapter Nine

“You did?!” Percy exclaimed. I only looked shocked at Sally’s sentence.

            Sally nodded. “I was looking through the attic since there might be some clues here.”

            “You are very ambitious, Sally,” I remarked.

            Sally smiled at me, finally taking her eyes off the page. “I am indeed, Nico. When I have an unanswered question, I will always investigate. I am a curious one, and I would love all of my problems solved before I pass away. Better to do it when I can actually move around normally, right?” She chuckled. “I am not looking forward to the day when I have to walk around with a cane or something like that.”

            “Wow,” was my only comment.

            “But anyway,” Percy began, “why does ‘di Angelo’ sound familiar, Mom?”

            Sally ushered us down next to her. “Look here at this picture.”

            We both knelt down next to her and glanced at the picture. It was a large picture that took up the whole page, so the picture was placed sideways to fit. Everyone in the picture was smiling straight at the photographer, and they seemed to be at a park, a very familiar park to me. The more I stared at the picture, the more I came to realize that the park was Miles Square Park, the place where I went to play my violin in peace. The picture was of two families since some of the people in the picture did not look related at all. One of the families I guessed was Percy’s family, but the other was…a family that I wasn’t sure was possible.

            “Is that…” I started, but my voice failed me.

            “Who are they?” Percy asked, pointing at three figures in the photo. “I don’t remember seeing...”Percy stopped.

            Sally glanced at me, then Percy, then back at the sideways photo. “Do you guys know who those people are?”

            I silently nodded. “But, why are they in this picture with you guys? And, where am I?”

            “Wait a second,” Percy started, grabbing Sally’s and my attention, “I only know one of these people, but, who are the others?” Percy circled the man with his finger that was none other than my father.

            “The other two…” I trailed off. I didn’t really want to talk about them, even if I was just answering a simple question. But, seeing them again, even if it was just a photo, made me want to hug it and treasure the picture dearly. I always yearned to see them again, but I never thought I would see them again in a photograph in Percy’s attic.

            Percy seemed to take the hint at my expression. He glanced back at the picture, his gaze now fixed on the other two figures. “Are they…” he was hesitant, but he continued “…your mom and your sister, Bianca?” I only nodded quietly. Percy got up and walked around his mother, only to kneel down beside me and hug me for comfort. I wanted to swat him away, but I didn’t really want to do that in front of his mother.

            Sally glanced at us. “I remember now. Before you were born, Percy and Bianca were neighbors, and also best friends. Your mom in this picture is already pregnant with you. That’s why ‘di Angelo’ sounds familiar. You were neighbors and friends with Bianca di Angelo when you were very young. I used to always talk with Hades and Maria di Angelo with your dad, Percy.”

            “Was it…your real dad?” I directed at Percy.

            “Yeah.” Percy exhaled through his mouth. “That seems like so long ago.”

            “But, wait,” I began, “why was I born in Maine if you guys are in New York in this picture?”

            Sally sighed, preparing herself to tell a story. “Maria told me that she wanted to move somewhere quieter when she had her second child. So, before you were born, Nico, they moved to Maine. That’s why you were born there, not here. Bianca, as far as I know, was born here, in New York. She was such a lovely child. Do your parents know you hang out with Percy? I would love to see them again.”

            “Mom—” Percy started, knowing that I did not like the upcoming topic.

            I held my hand up, silencing Percy. “It’s okay, Percy. Sally, well, my mother and Bianca passed away in Maine because of a car accident. That’s when my father and I moved back here to New York, but I still don’t know why.”

            I found out where Percy got that look of forlorn from: from his mother. She glanced down at the picture, her gaze on Bianca and my mother. Then she glanced at me. “I’m…really sorry to hear that, Nico. Is your father alright?”

            I nodded, though it was an obvious lie. “He’s fine. We’re getting along well, trying to get over their deaths.”

            I didn’t spare a glance at Percy, but I knew he was staring at me with a bewildered and angry expression for lying, yet his arms were still wrapped around me. “Nico…that’s such a—”

            “I know. I’ll talk to you later about it.”

            Sally glanced at Percy and me, but she decided to not make a comment about it. “Well, Nico, I’m glad you guys are getting along. But, why are you staying here with us?”

            I decided to make up another lie for that. I really needed to get out of this situation. “My father needs a lot of time for himself, you know, he has to deal with their deaths  _and_  work. And, whenever I see him, he always reminds me of them, so I decided to stay somewhere else for the time being. Is that…alright?”

            Sally patted my cheek. “It’s absolutely fine, Nico. Dealing with a death of a loved one is very challenging, I know it too. My parents died a long time ago in a plane crash. But, I’m just glad your father is still with you.”

            I nodded getting up. Percy still followed, and his arms were still around me. “Thank you, Sally. I’m…just going to go now.”

            Sally nodded, closing the photograph book and setting it in the open box where she found it. “I’m going to head out too. It is way too dusty in here.”

            She closed the box and followed us outside and down the ladder that led up to the attic. Sally lifted the ladder up until it closed at the top, so it just looked like a regular ceiling.

            Sally glanced at us. “I’m going to be downstairs if you guys need me, okay?”

            Percy and I both nodded as Sally left down the hall and into the direction of the stairs.

            Percy lifted my chin up with his hand and directed my face towards his, which was next to mine. His arms were  _still_  wrapped around me. “Why did you lie?”

            I sighed. “I didn’t want another person to worry about me. I would rather have your mother go about her life without another worry. She seems so happy; I don’t want to pile all of my problems onto her. She has enough to worry about, with her parents gone as well.”

            “You know, she could help you if you just told her.”

            I shook my head in denial. “I don’t need any more help. You’ve already done so much for me on your own. I still don’t know how to repay you back.”

            It was now Percy’s turn to sigh. “You don’t need to repay me back. The only way you can return the favor is by continuing to be friends with me. That’s all I need.”

            “But that’s—”

            “Enough for me.” Percy smiled, finished my retort with something I didn’t want to say.

            “You are so hopeless, Percy.”

            Percy’s smile turned into a smirk. “I know, Nico. Come on, we were going to hang out, right? It’s Friday after all.”

            I nodded, his hand still holding up my chin. “Alright.”

            We were in the middle of walking down the stairs when Percy’s phone rang. Percy glanced at me but reached into his pocket to pull out his phone and answer the call. “Hello?” Percy said into the speaker, staring off straight ahead of him. The person on the other side of the phone said something, and then Percy replied, “Sorry, Silena. I was actually going to hang out alone with Nico today.” Silena said something again, but instead of answering her, Percy glanced at me, taking the phone off his ear. “Silena was wondering if you wanted to come with her to hang out with Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Beckendorf.”

            My lips tilted downward. “I don’t really like being around a lot of people. So, tell her sorry, but no. You could go if you want.”

            Percy stared at me with a sad look. “Then what would you do?”

            I shrugged. “What I always do when I’m bored at home. I usually watch TV, or I might go to the park and play my violin. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I’ll find something to do.”

            Percy smiled back at me. “If you’re not going, then me going is not an option.” He put the phone back onto his ear, ignoring my confused look I was giving him. “We’re not going, sorry, Silena.” Silena said something on the other side of the phone. Then Percy glanced at me. “Silena was wondering if she could hang out with us then. She wants to spend more time with you.”

            I shrugged. “If she wants to. But I don’t want to hang out with everyone.”

            Percy smiled and answered Silena, “He says it’s fine. Does that mean you’re just going to ditch everyone then?” Silena answered with something that I couldn’t make out. But Percy only continued to smile. “Alright then, see you later.” And he hung up his phone.

            By this time, I was still giving him a confused look. “Why didn’t you just go with them?”

            Percy glanced at me as if suddenly realizing I was still standing there. “If you’re not going, then I’m not going.”

            “You could’ve just gone without me.”

            Percy frowned. “Then where’s the fun in that?”

            I sighed. “You lived your whole life without me, I’m pretty sure you can also live a day without me. Why do you want to go everywhere with me anyway?”

            “Because you’re my best friend,” Percy replied like it was super obvious.

            “Then, who was your best friend before you met me? Why don’t you just go hang out with him or her?”

            “Well,” Percy drawled, “my best friend was a guy named Grover, but we went to different high schools, so I don’t talk to him much anymore. Then it was Annabeth, but we started dating a few months ago.”

            “Then why don’t you just hang out with Annabeth?” I asked him.

            “Because  _you’re_  my best friend now,” Percy answered. “Now, enough with the questions, let’s just go and meet Silena at the park.” Percy began walking towards the front door.

            I rolled my eyes and sighed, but followed him. “Fine, but you’re going to regret not hanging out with the others.”

            Percy smiled at me. “If it involves you, then I’m never going to regret anything.”

            I frowned. “You’re going to regret that sentence once you find out my secret.”

            Percy stopped and stared back at me. “You have another secret?”

            I rubbed my forearm with my left hand. “Well, yeah. It’s…related to why I hate human contact from you.”

            Percy knit his eyebrows at me. “Is it because you’re gay? Because I already know that.”

            I shook my head. “I already know you know that. But, me being gay is kind of related to my secret.”

            Percy sighed. “You’re so confusing, Nico. Are you ever planning on telling me this ‘secret’?” 

            I shook my head once again. “No, I’m…not. I’m really sorry though. But, I’m just…afraid.”

            Percy’s lips tilted downward. “Afraid of what? Afraid of my opinion? I’m not going to judge you or anything. You already told me about your past life that you refused to tell anyone. I don’t think there’s anything else that could be worse.”

            I gulped. “Well, to me there is.” I suddenly found interest in my worn-out shoes.

            Percy sighed once more. “Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, then I won’t force you or anything. I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell me. But, we should hurry and get to Silena. I have the strangest feeling she’s already there, and she’s currently waiting for us.”

            I glanced up at him and nodded. “You’re probably right. Let’s go.”

            We decided to walk to the park since it was close to Percy’s house anyway. When we arrived at Miles Square Park, the breath in my lungs was knocked right out of me. In other words, Silena hugged me. Percy was trying to contain his laughter at my reactions as I stumbled backward, trying to contain my balanced for the second time of the day.

            “Nico!” Silena squealed.

            I rolled my eyes and hugged her back. “You saw me earlier today. You overreact way too much.”

            “I do not!” Silena retorted.

            “Yes you do,” Percy and I replied.

            Silena pouted and released her arms around me. “Whatever. But, what do you guys want to do today?

            I shrugged. “What do you guys want to do today? I don’t really care. I never go out much anyway.”

            Silena gasped. “You don’t?! Does that mean you don’t even know what the malls or the other parks or anything look like?!”

            I shook my head. “No,” I flatly replied. “I only go here, my house, and the library only because I work there. Sometimes I go to the bookstore to buy new books, but those are the only places I go to.”

            Silena sighed. “Nico, Nico, Nico. You are absolutely unbelievable.”

            Percy smirked. “That’s what I tell him all the time.”

            “I know right!” Silena agreed. “Well, Percy, looks like we have a  _lot_  to do today.”

            I raised an eyebrow. “And…what exactly are we doing today?” I glanced at Percy and Silena.

            Percy chuckled. “Well, Nico, you’re in for a lot. When Silena has a plan, that means we are going to be out the whole rest of the day, and come home super exhausted.”

            Silena cocked her head to the side. “Really? I don’t get very exhausted.”

            “That’s because you have a bunch of energy throughout the whole day,” Percy responded.

            Silena giggled and bounced on the heels of her feet. “That’s is true. And, you know what I’m planning for today?”

            I was hesitant, but I asked, “What are we doing today?”

            Silena grinned broadly at me. “We’re going to go to all the places I  _love_  to be at! And don’t worry, everything’s on me. Percy can buy some of the things.”

            Percy rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever. You are being treated royalty today, Nico.”

            I chuckled, but of course, it disappeared right after. I rolled my eyes so that Silena wouldn’t get suspicious about it. But, I already knew what Percy was thinking.

            Silena seemed to have let it slide, to my relief. She giggled. “Alright-y then! First, I’m planning on going to the ice cream store! I am pretty hungry right now anyway. How about it, guys?”

            I shrugged, and Percy replied, “Sure.”

            Silena grinned at us again, before taking Percy’s wrist in one hand, and my wrist in the other. She dragged us toward her car, which was a white Mercedes. She opened the front seat and jumped into it. Percy offered for me to sit in the passenger seat, but I denied and decided to sit in the back seat. Percy only shrugged and sat in the seat next to the driver’s seat, which was Silena’s seat.

            She inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it to the side, cranking up the car’s engine. “Okay, guys! Buckle up, and let’s go!”


	11. Part 1) Chapter Ten

 

Silena wasn’t kidding when she said she would take us to all her favorite places. I was also informed by Percy later in the day that her favorite places were  _all_  the stores in a nearby mall. Well, that’s just wonderful.

We were sitting at a table in an ice cream store. I totally forgot what the name of the ice cream store was because we were in here for so long, mostly because Silena was talking the day away in here, and because she kept trying to get me to eat ice cream. I wasn’t a fan ice cream, but Silena would not budge. I wasn’t a big fan of sweets actually, which eventually made our next destination to be See’s Candies. I wonder if we were actually going to get there; we’ve been in this ice cream store for an hour and a half so far. I wouldn’t be surprised if we stayed here the rest of the day.

The ice cream store was pretty small, with the tables and chairs on one side of the store where all the windows were. The counter was on the opposite side of the store, which also had the showcases of ice cream in buckets, with the name of that particular ice cream on the glass. Cakes were aligned on shelves in the back. The store was mostly white, and so were the tables. The chairs were brown instead.

“Nico! Just eat some!” Silena whined, trying to shove a spoonful of cookie dough into my mouth.

I attempted to shove her hand away. “No! Why are you forcing me to eat some anyway?!”

“Because you’re missing out on life!” Silena answered.

“Eating cookie dough is not part of my life!” I retorted.

“Yes, it is!”

“Guys,” Percy interrupted, “do you guys know how loud you guys are?”

“Well, it’s Nico’s fault he’s not eating ice cream!” Silena retorted.

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I don’t want any. So, can we just leave now? We’ve been here for two hours or something.”

“Seriously?!” Silena gasped. “I didn’t even know.”

"It’s like that  _all_  the time, Silena.” Percy chuckled.

“Oh.” Silena blinked blankly at us. “Well, my goal for the rest of my life is to get Nico to eat some sweets. Let’s go to See’s Candies!”

I rolled my eyes once more. “I’m not going to eat sweets if I’m forced to.”

Silena shrugged. “I’ll get you to eat them one day.”

“Wait, you just ate a ton of ice cream, so now you’re going to eat more?” Percy raised an eyebrow at Silena.

Silena only grinned and nodded. Percy sighed as Silena dragged him away by the wrist. I only shrugged and followed them. I can’t believe that my first friends were the popular group at school. It seemed totally unbelievable. If someone told me that I would be friends with my secret lover and his friends. I would’ve laughed.

Silena then led us to a store called American Apparel. It wasn’t a very big store, but there were a lot of clothes in there. She dragged us along and we had to judge whether or not the clothing Silena picked out looked good on her. She even offered to get me clothes, which I denied rather quickly. Percy only laughed at my rapid reply.

We then went to this one area where there was a stage and people would sing or dance on it. We watched them for awhile, maybe an hour and a half or so, until we got bored. Then Silena dragged us somewhere else, of course.

The next place we went to was apparently See’s Candies. Silena, once again, tried to force feed me sweets, and of course I denied. Percy was trying to hold in his laughter while it happened, and he tried to focus on something else whenever Silena complained to him that I was “missing out on life by not eating sweets”. The people in the store stared at us as if we were from a different planet. I would’ve done that too if I was in that store and didn’t know them.

We even went to watch a movie. It happened when we were in a store called Pacsun and Silena mentioned movies that she liked to watch since she happened to come across a shirt with one of her favorite movies on it. When she asked me what my favorite movie was, I only shrugged and said I haven’t watched a movie since I was ten. Silena gasped at my response, marched up to the cashier, paid for her items, and then dragged me to the movie theatre called Edwards 21 Cinemas. We ended up watching this movie called Frozen, and apparently, Silena has watched this movie many times and never gotten tired of it.

When Silena asked when my birthday was when we were in a store called SALVATION, I answered that my birthday was January 29. Silena started going crazy because the date was January 21, and she ended up trying to buy something for me. I told her she didn’t have to, but she wouldn’t listen. Sometimes Silena would whisper to Percy, and it was most likely about what my birthday present would be. I ended up giving up and letting Silena buy whatever she wanted for me.

When we ended up at a store called Kay Jewelers, Percy and Silena forced me to wait outside for them, so I was pretty sure my birthday present had something to do with jewelry. I really wondered what they were getting me. Why did they think I would want jewelry for my birthday? Did I look like the type that would wear jewelry? Most people strike me as the Emo type, and I was pretty positive they thought the same thing about me. Well, if Silena and Percy agreed on it, then I guess I might like it. Well, I’ve only known them for four days, so it would make sense that they wouldn’t know what I like. Whatever, I’ll find out soon on my birthday, so I might as well not dwell on it. But, I had a lot of time to think about it, since I waited out there for three hours and a half. When they came out afterward, Silena was holding a Kay Jewelers bag. I kept eyeing the bag wherever we went like there was a loaded gun hidden in there.

We went on like that for the whole entire day, until my feet started to feel sore. I didn’t complain about it since I wasn’t one to complain, but Percy showed signs to Silena that we should get going home. Silena wouldn’t budge though since we haven’t finished visiting every single one of her favorite stores. That’s when Percy brought up that Silena’s favorite stores were  _every single store_  at the mall, which made me join Percy and get Silena to finally let us go home. We even started to form a plan to ditch Silena when she was waiting for her order at a place called Starbucks Coffee. We never finished the plan though, because Silena ended up getting her order faster than we predicted.

When it was around nine o’clock, Silena wanted to go on the giant Ferris wheel that was in the middle of the outdoor mall. She wanted to go on it earlier, but she said the view from the Ferris wheel looked cooler when it was nighttime since the Ferris wheel glowed and changed patterns and colors at night. We stared out of the Ferris wheel cart, and Silena gaped at every single thing. She pointed out some stores that we forgot to visit and even took a picture of all of us together when we were at the very top of the Ferris wheel. I refused to do so and ended up getting shoved into the picture by Percy.

When we came to a store called Forever 21, I pleaded Percy to let me look into the Kay Jewelers bag. I wanted to see what they got me, even if I didn’t want it, and it was killing me. Maybe I did actually want it if I wanted to see it. I begged him to show me for awhile, and it actually worked. He took out a black box that was used to hold jewelry, but before he was about to open it, Silena came and slapped Percy’s hand, which almost made Percy drop it. She then scolded Percy for the longest time about it, but all I could do was try to not laugh at how Percy was handling the situation.

When it was nine thirty, we finally settled down outside on a bench by a store called Wetzel’s Pretzels. Percy and I sat on either side of Silena, who was sitting in between us, thankfully. I probably would’ve exploded if I sat too close to my secret lover. Silena just wanted a way to sit with us while having the ability to talk to both of us at the same time. So, she seated herself in the middle.

Silena was eating a soft, but giant pretzel from Wetzel’s Pretzels about the size of two hands put next to each other. I never understood where Silena got her giant appetite from. She ate so much, yet she was still slim. It must be some kind of sorcery or something. She shared some with Percy and me, and for one of the first times today, I accepted. I haven’t eaten a lot today, especially since I lost my appetite when Silena tried to force me into eating sweets.

A few minutes later, a couple of people walked up to us. When we all looked up, we found Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Frank, and Beckendorf.

“Charlie!” Silena squealed, jumping up and hugging Beckendorf around the neck, with the giant pretzel still in her dominant hand.

“Hey, Silena.” Beckendorf grinned and hugged Silena around the waist.

“I didn’t know you guys would be here. If we knew that, we would’ve gone with you,” Hazel said, glancing from Beckendorf and Silena to Percy and me.

“I know right!” Leo agreed. “We could’ve had a huge party!”

“But, there’s only ten of us,” Frank pointed out. “That isn’t really considered to be ‘huge’.”

Leo sighed. “You just have to ruin everything, huh, Frankie?”

Frank put on a disgusted expression. “Please don’t call me that.”

Leo smirked and chuckled. “Too late.”

Everyone ended up talking about something, but I wasn’t really listening. In fact, I was feeling very uncomfortable around so many people, so I decided to sneak away while no one noticed. I wasn’t sure where I was going to go. Maybe I would just walk around until Silena called me and brought Percy and me home. I just hoped they wouldn’t get mad at me for ditching them without them noticing. Would they even get mad? I just hoped—for the first time—that they wouldn’t forget about me. I just hoped they wouldn’t because they were my ride home. Other than that, I didn’t really care whether or not they forget about me.

I got up from my seat on the bench and quietly walked away from the group, shoving my hands deep into my pockets. I decided to just look around at the different stores that I haven’t seen yet. I didn’t go out much, so I might as well look at everything. I wasn’t planning on buying anything either. After my mother and Bianca died, I never really got anything. My father never went out and gotten a present for me on Christmas for my birthday, and I ended up getting used to that. I almost forgot my own birthday too. When Silena asked me when my birthday was earlier, it took me about three minutes to think about that.

It was cold, practically freezing outside. I forgot to bring a jacket, so here I was freezing to death while walking around. I should just go into a store I found interesting and stay in there looking at all the stuff because there were heaters inside the stores. I would’ve done that, but I got bored too easily. Nothing ever kept me entertained. I didn’t think I ever will find anything that’ll keep me entertained for more than an hour or so.

I actually succeeded in getting away, which I found weird and suspicious because luck is never on my side. I looked back at the group and no one was watching me still. I raised an eyebrow at nothing in particular, and continued to walk to no set destination, looking around at the stores I passed by to see if anything caught my eye. And, in fact, nothing caught my eye. Nothing has ever been interesting to me for five years so far, well, except for Percy. I’m surprised I didn’t freak out over becoming friends with Percy. Maybe because I was never alone with him, and whenever I was, we were always talking about something serious, so I wasn’t able to focus on my loving feelings for him.

 I also realized I smelled like perfume because Silena kept spraying Percy and me with perfume at a store called Perfume Gallery. I hated the smell of perfume; it was too strong. People would always spray way too much on them, and whenever I walked by a person wearing perfume, it was like a brief headache before I finally passed by them. But since the perfume was on  _me_  now, my headache was going to last longer than usual. Well, that’s great. I was freezing cold and I had a headache.

Of course, my luck didn’t last very long. I felt someone grab my right forearm, and for a second I thought someone was going to kidnap me. I stopped in my tracks and turned around, only to find my secret lover.

“Why did you leave?” was the first thing Percy asked me.

I simply replied with a shrug, taking my right hand out of my pocket and shaking Percy’s hand away. I wasn’t making eye contact with Percy either, so he most likely knew that I was lying.

Percy sighed. “You obviously know why you left.”

“I already told you earlier today, I don’t like being around a lot of people,” I said, shifting my gaze towards a store behind Percy labeled Cathy Jean Shoes.

“Then you could’ve just told us you were leaving instead of sneaking off,” Percy said.

I shrugged. “I didn’t think you guys would care. So, I didn’t say anything.”

Percy frowned at me. “Nico, Silena would freak out once she realized you were gone. She would probably go crazy and think you were kidnapped by someone.”

I finally made eye contact with Percy, but with an eyebrow raised. “You didn’t tell them you were going to find me?”

“Well, I didn’t think you wanted me to tell them you were gone,” Percy answered, rubbing his forearm. He was lucky he was wearing a jacket.

“So, you actually succeeded in sneaking off?” I asked, a little surprised.

“You succeeded in sneaking off,” Percy pointed out,

“Well, no one was talking to me or paying attention to me, so of course I was able to sneak away. You, on the other hand, were talking to Jason when I left,” I remarked.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck with a small smile. “I actually lied and told them I needed to go to the bathroom.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can’t believe they fell for that. The bathroom is the other way.”

Percy chuckled. “Even I didn’t know that, yet you’ve only been here once.”

I shrugged once again. “I guess have a good memory.”                                                                                                       

Percy smiled, then looked at me up and down. “You look cold.”

“No fucking way,” I slowly replied.

Percy rolled his eyes. He took off his jacket and put it around my shoulders. The whole time, I was staring at me with a puzzled look on my face.

“Aren’t you cold?” I asked him, starting to take off the jacket and give it back to him.

Percy shook his head. “Only a little, but I can handle it.” Percy took my hands into his and pulled them away from the jacket, releasing my grip on the jacket so I wouldn’t take it off. “You seem colder anyway.”

I frowned. “Yeah, I get cold too easily, and I hate it.”

“You hate too many things about yourself, Nico,” Percy pointed out, his hands still holding on to mine. I hoped that it was dark enough so he wouldn’t see the blush slowly spreading across my face. “Try to have some more self-esteem.”

I rolled my eyes. “I have none of that. I don’t see anything good or unique about me.”

Percy sighed heavily as if to say:  _What am I going to do with you?_  “Then, I’ll help you see the good things about you.”

I arched an eyebrow. “And, how are you going to do that?”

Percy genuinely smiled down at me. “You’ll see along the way.”

My expression turned quizzical the more I stared at him, but I didn’t ask anything more. I decided to ask something else. “So, are you going to take me back to the others now?”

Percy shook his head. “If I take you back, then you’re probably going to sneak off again.”

I nodded. “Very true. So, now that you found me, are  _you_  going to go back? I mean, no one goes to the bathroom this long.”

Percy laughed, making my heart beat faster against my chest. “I’ll just let them have their own imagination about what I’m doing in the bathroom for such a long time.” He winked at me.

“Ew, that’s very disgusting, Percy.” My quizzical expression turned disgusted. “Don’t get an image in my head.” But to be truthful, an image of Percy jerking off just made me more aroused. And, Percy holding my hands was not making me feel any better.

Percy smirked. “Well, anyway. What do you want to do now?”

I blankly blinked at him. “Wait, you’re seriously not going back to them?”

Percy knit his eyebrows. “Well, of course not. I’m not going to leave you alone. After everything that happened five years ago, I’m not leaving you alone ever again. You looked so lonely when I caught you leaving, it made me really sad. You know, when you turned around and found me, there was this empty look in your eyes like you’ve never seen a human being before in your life.”

“Seriously?”

Percy nodded. “Yeah. It just—you know what, never mind.” I raised an eyebrow, but he brushed me off. “So, what did you even plan on doing?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t really know what to do since I can’t go home. So, I just decided to walk around and look at the stores that we haven’t visited since I don’t go out very much.”

Percy smiled again. “Then, let’s go look around. I’ve been here a lot actually, so I know my way around. You coming?”

I rolled my eyes. “Even if I said no, you would still force me into coming.”

Percy’s smile turned into a smirk. “Well, of course I would. Then, I guess we should be going now.”

Percy swung his arm around me, finally letting go of my hands, and we walked around the outdoor mall until Silena called me and started freaking out over where I was.


	12. Part 1) Chapter Eleven

It was the next day: Saturday. I still wasn’t awake by the time it was one in the afternoon. I stayed up all night thinking about everything that happened yesterday at the mall. Well, to be more specific, I was thinking about Percy. The way he laughed and smiled. The way his emerald green eyes twinkled whenever he found something amusing. And, the way his tender hands held mine when he gave me his jacket. Why did Percy have to be so perfect?

Silena freaked out when she found out that I moved in with Percy when she was driving us home. She asked me where I lived so she could drop me off, but Percy answered for me, saying that I moved in with him. She was freaking out over it so much; she didn’t get the chance to ask us why I moved in with Percy in the first place. I didn’t know why she made such a big deal out of it. I mean, yeah I moved in with Percy. Why was this so exciting to her?

I usually slept until it was three on the weekends, but Percy had other plans. When it was one, Percy knocked on my door. I was a light sleeper, which I also hated because I loved sleeping. I half-opened my eyes and glanced (more like glared) at the door, but I didn’t show any indication that I was awake. So, Percy continued to knock on the door. It reminded me of an alarm clock, that kept ringing and ringing until you hit the snooze button. But this time, there wasn’t a snooze button.

When I was about to call out to the door and say I was awake, Percy decided to step in. He glanced at me and chuckled. He walked up to my bed and knelt down next to the bed.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.” He laughed.

“More like ‘Good afternoon, Sleeping Ugly’,” I grumbled, turning around and attempting to fall back asleep. “I have decided to skip lunch so I could get more sleep. Now, go away.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “You really hate yourself, don’t you Nico?”

If my eyelids weren’t closed, I would’ve rolled my eyes as well. “Gee, I haven’t noticed.”

Percy sighed. “Well, you have to wake up now. My mom wouldn’t like it if you missed lunch. This is your first lunch with us anyway. And anyway, we have to paint your room black. You don’t want to sleep in such a blue room, do you?”

“Not really.” I sighed, finally sitting upright in my new and comfortable bed. “I feel like I’m going to be asked a ton of questions at lunch.”

Percy smirked. “That is so true. Now, hurry up and brush your teeth and your hair. It’s going to take us all day to paint your room.”

I groaned. “You sound more like a manager or something. You would do so well as one.”

Percy chuckled. “Maybe I would.” Percy stood up to his full height. “You really aren’t an early bird, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?” I sarcastically asked.

Percy only rolled his eyes. “You are so sarcastic.”

“Wow, haven’t noticed that either.” I rolled my eyes back. “By the way, why is everything so blue in this house? I feel like I’m going to see the rest of the world in blue if I stay here too long.”

Percy chuckled once more. “Well, when my first stepdad was here, he said there was no such thing as blue food. So, my mom when all out and cooked everything in blue just to show my first step-dad that he was wrong. She ended up going overboard and she made everything in this house as blue as possible, but not too much blue or we would’ve gotten dizzy from it all. “

“Wow, you really hated that guy,” I commented.

“Oh, you don’t even know the last of it.” Percy smiled before making his way out of my new room. “See you downstairs.”

After I finished doing my daily morning things in the bathroom (I finally didn’t have to take pain-relieving pills in the mornings), I made my way down the stairs. I needed to memorize all the rooms and the layout of this house soon, or I would be lost in here until Percy or someone came by. And, I knew none of the people living in this house were crazy enough to make a map for it.

I arrived in the dining room through a doorway from the kitchen and saw Paul sitting on one end of the table reading a book called The Fire Ascending by Chris d’Lacey. I swear that guy was reading a new book whenever I saw him. Sally was sitting on the other end of the table across from Paul, happily chatting away with Percy. Percy sat adjacent of his mother, with a huge grin plastered on his face, which also made my heart involuntarily beat faster. There were two empty chairs next to Tyson and Percy. Tyson was sitting across from Percy, who was looking at a deck of cards that I remembered to be a card game that I used to play: Mythomagic. I would’ve gotten along great with Tyson if I played Mythomagic still. Maybe I could help him and give a few pointers from time to time. I still know how to play that game.

Percy was the first one to notice me. He glanced up at me, interrupting his conversation with Sally. His huge smile was still on his face. “Hey, Nico!” Percy exclaimed, getting everyone’s attention over to me.

I shifted uncomfortably under everyone’s gaze, which went unnoticed, to my relief. “Hey, Percy.”

Sally’s face brightened. “Hello, Nico. Would you like to sit next to Percy?”

My heart beat even faster this time. I probably would’ve spazzed out while sitting next to the person that I secretly loved so much, but it would’ve been rude if I denied. Instead, I shrugged, trying to ignore the lump forming in my throat. “Sure,” I flatly replied.

Percy pulled out the chair next to him, and I seated myself in it. Percy let his arm rest on the top of my chair, and I had to try really hard to ignore it. Percy did not make my feelings for him lessen at all. In fact, he made them grow, which I really hated. I guess I do hate Percy…in one way.

“So, Nico, how do you like it here?” Sally asked me, starting up a conversation,

“It’s really great here, thank you for letting me stay,” I replied. “It’s so lively here. At home, my father is usually working, so he’s too busy to do anything. So, it’s really quiet at home.”

Sally nodded in acknowledgment. “I see. Your dad must be a very busy man, trying to earn enough money for both of you guys.”

Paul, without looking up from his book, asked me, “What does your dad do for work?”

Shit, I have never given any thought to that if anyone decided to ask me that. This was one of the reasons why I hated lying. It just led to more stupid lies the more someone asked. So, I guess I had to “wing it” now. “My father works as a…software developer.” Percy obviously knew that was a lie. He probably even noticed my pause during the sentence. I didn’t even know what a software developer was; all I knew was that they made a lot of money…I think.

Paul nodded. “They make a lot of money, indeed. Does your dad know you’re even staying here with us?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I told him I wanted to stay with one of my friends. He’s taking it easy on me since he knows that I’m not over my mother’s and my sister’s deaths yet.”

Paul nodded, his eyes still focused on the words of the page from the book. “That’s very reassuring to know.”

I could pretty much feel Percy’s dark gaze on the back of my head, but I decided to ignore it. But, I knew I was in for a long talk with him later today.

“Hey, Paul,” Percy started, “Nico wants to paint the walls of his room black, and I thought that we should do it today. Do you know if we have black paint here?”

Paul bookmarked his page and set the book on the table next to his plate. He got up from his seat to his full height. He made eye contact with Percy. “I’ll go check in the garage and see if we have the tools you need.”

Percy smiled, so I shifted my gaze elsewhere so I wouldn’t blush. “Thanks, Paul.”

Paul nodded at Percy before taking his leave. “No problem, Percy.”

After lunch, I went up to my room. “The talk” with Percy was coming, and it wasn’t the “use protection during sex and watch where your parts are going” talk. Though, having a talk like that with Percy would be very awkward for me, especially since I was secretly crushing on him.

I was waiting for Percy to come up with Paul with the tools and paint needed to paint my room my black. I had enough of blue around the house; I didn’t need more in my room. I was just glad they were so generous to me. My father would never do such a thing anymore. I really missed those times when my whole family was alive and we were all happy together. But now, a half of my family was gone forever, and I hated to think about that. This is why I hated having time to myself. That was the one reason why I hated being alone. My thoughts would somehow lead me towards my mother’s and Bianca’s death, and I hated it.

“Nico, are you okay?”

I glanced up and found Percy standing by the doorway, holding a large paintbrush in one hand and a thin, metal handle connected to a bucket of black paint in the other.

I frowned at him. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Percy eyed me carefully. “Well, you just looked sort of…how do I explain it? You just look lonely. You look like your heart was shattered into a million pieces, and then stepped on by a person that betrayed you. Your eyes look so dark and empty like you want to cry, but you can’t because you cried too much.”

I stared at him with wide eyes. Did I really look that when thinking about their deaths? “R-really?”

Percy nodded. “Yeah. What are you even thinking about?”

I shifted my gaze towards my hands in my lap and lowered my head so my bangs fell over my face. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

 “Are you sure? You look like you’re thinking about—” Percy abruptly stopped, most likely realizing what I was thinking about. Percy sighed. He walked into my room and set the paint bucket and the paintbrush on the floor. He silently walked over to me, knelt down, and set his hands on my shoulders. “Nico, you’re not going to get over…it if you keep thinking about it.”

My shoulders slumped. I didn’t even realize that they were tensed. “The more I think, the more my thoughts lead to them. It just happens.”

Percy smiled, but I barely saw it out of the corner of my eyes. “You’ll be okay, don’t worry. You’re going to get over it soon.”

I looked up at him. I didn’t know what my expression was, but Percy’s eyes became wide, and his grip on my shoulders tightened. I decided to ignore it. “How? How will I get over it if I just keep thinking?”

 Percy’s smile returned. “Because I’m here to help you with that, Nico. My whole family is here. Which leads me to another point: why did you lie so much to my mom and Paul?”

I sighed as my gaze shifted over to the paint bucket behind Percy. “I already told you. I don’t want them to worry about me. I want them to believe that my life was okay. Sally already has enough weight on her shoulders. If I tell her about my problems, she’d be carrying the sky on her shoulders instead.”

“But, if you tell her about your problems, then sure she would be carrying the sky. But, she’ll also found a way to solve them, so the sky would become lighter…and…sunnier?”

I laughed a rare laugh, and Percy’s smile became wider. “Percy, you’re such an idiot.”

He put his right hand on my cheek and started to caress it once my smile turned into a frown. “I get that a lot.” He continued to smile, but worry and concern filled his emerald green eyes. “You look a lot better when you smile, you know.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe I do. I don’t really care how I look anymore.”

Percy’s smile disappeared, which made my heart shatter. “You’re really strong, Nico. If I went through what you went through, I probably would’ve been dead by now.”

I rolled my eyes and stood up from my seat on the edge of the bed. “I’m not very strong. I still cry about them at—” I stopped once I realized what I was saying. “You know what? Just forget what I just said.”

Percy stood up, and I could feel his eyes on me when I was making my way towards the paint bucket and the paintbrush. “When do you cry about them?” His voice was serious again, and that made me really scared.

I slowly shook my head. “N—nothing.”

“You stuttered.”

“And you suck.”

I could hear Percy chuckle behind me, and I was grateful that he was happy again.

“Well, I still need to get those other paint supplies from Paul in the basement. He’s probably waiting for me still,” Percy walked over to the doorway. He glanced at me over his shoulder. “You can come down and help me bring up the stuff if you want. I don’t really want to see you like that when I came up here ever again. Got that?”

I slowly nodded. I wasn’t very sure if I could keep that promise, but if it was for Percy, then I’ll try. “Sure, and…thanks.”

Percy looked at me curiously. “Thanks for what?”

I suddenly found much interest in the floor. “For not…asking me more about the things that I refuse to tell you. And for…everything that you’ve done for me so far. I feel like I can never repay you.”

Percy smiled and turned around fully, leaning against the door frame. “You don’t have to repay me, Nico, I already told you. Being my best friend is enough for me. And, for the things that you refuse to talk about, well, to be honest, I’m really curious as to what you’re hiding from me. But, it’s okay. I won’t force you into it or anything. You’d probably hate me even more if I did.”

Now it was my turn to glance up at him curiously. “What do you mean by ‘hate you even more’?”

“Well, you hate me, don’t you?” Emerald green met with dark brown. “You act like you do since you push me away all the time. I was actually surprised when you agreed to move in with me. I made a guess to why you hated human contact with me so much because you hate me.”

If I could, I would’ve laughed at that. But, I didn’t want to show my feelings for Percy. My lips tilted downwards instead. “I don’t hate you.”

Percy stared at me with a bewildered look, like he couldn’t believe that he won the lottery or something. “Seriously?

I shook my head. “No, of course I don’t hate you. I see you as…a friend…I guess.”

Percy grinned at me. “Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better about myself. All this time, I thought you hated me.”

I shook my head once more, making my way past Percy and into the hallway. “Well, you were very wrong about that.” I glanced back at Percy. “Are we going to go get the supplies from Paul now?”

Percy nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

And Percy never knew how untrue his thought about me hating him was. Well, not yet at least.


	13. Part 1) Chapter Twelve

After we got all the supplies from Paul, he offered to help us move the furniture away from the walls, which we all did. Afterwards, we set some newspapers on the floor by the wall in case the paint would drip off. Paul then bid his farewells, saying that if we needed more help, he’d come to help us.

            Percy exhaled through his mouth as we approached the painting supplies in the center of the room. “I guess we should start painting.” He plucked a paint roller off of the ground, dipped it in the black paint, and began painting the walls black.

            I nodded in agreement and began to paint the walls using the second paint roller that we brought up. The paintbrushes were for when we had to paint the corners or something and the paint roller couldn’t paint there. I was too lazy to paint, but I was getting really tired of all the blue, even though I’ve only slept in this room twice. I see enough blue around the house to last more than a lifetime.

            I was happy Percy was helping me, and I was also happy that Paul offered to help us if we needed it. I was so used to doing things by myself; it was weird and unusual for me to get help. I still refused sympathy from others. I needed to get that drilled into Percy’s head. I needed to get that drilled into  _everyone’s_  head.

            Percy could be so persistent though. Silena was also very persistent, especially if it came to sweets. But, I guess, deep down inside, I was grateful to have them with me. I didn’t think the others cared about me, they just knew I was there, but they never spared a thought about me.

            But, I was pretty sure Annabeth knew of my feelings for Percy. I knew she was really smart, and her calculating gaze scared me a little. But, I guess she was a nice person to be around with, because Percy was dating her, so she was most likely better…around other people besides me.

            Why did I even like Percy? Why couldn’t I just get over my feelings already? Percy was straight, and he would never date me. So, why did I always think as if I had a chance?  I didn’t. I had zero chance with Percy. Percy only thought of me as a friend, nothing more. He wouldn’t just suddenly turn gay and end up dating me over Annabeth. And, I was pretty sure Annabeth was a lot better than me, by a long shot.

            I wonder though, how did Percy even meet Annabeth? They seem like totally different people, in my opinion. But, Annabeth most likely acted differently around other people, so I guess I would never know how Annabeth acted.

            I also suddenly realized that Annabeth and Percy would never very intimate in public, unlike Silena and Beckendorf. Well, I had only been with the both of them four times or something like that. So, I guess I could never say anything until it has been awhile. But the question was: would I even be friends with them for awhile?

            That question had been stuck in my head ever since I met them. I never thought that I would be friends with them for more than a week, and here I was with Percy after five days. Two more days, and I was pretty sure I would not be friends with them anymore. Well, would I?

            I involuntarily shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and instead, focused on painting the walls and overlapping the blue with black. Why was I even thinking about this? It made no sense to dwell on them. I really shouldn’t have time to myself, or my thoughts would either end up with my mother and Bianca or useless thoughts.

            And, of course, my thoughts suddenly made a turn towards the Mother and Bianca Boulevard. I really hated this boulevard. It either made me super angry and furious or super sad and depressed. It made no sense, but that was how I felt whenever I thought about them.

And me shaking my head did not go unnoticed by the other person in the room.

            “Nico, are you okay?”

            I glanced up and looked across the room at Percy. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

            “Because you were shaking your head for some odd reason,” Percy answered, eyeing me curiously over his shoulder.

            How did he even know I was shaking my head? Our backs were turned against each other because we were across the room painting the walls opposite of each other. So, how did he even see me?

            I just decided to let it slide. “Oh, it was nothing. I was just thinking about some stupid and useless thoughts, that’s all.”

            Percy’s lips tilted down, but he shrugged. “Whatever you say, I guess. But, if you want to talk, I’m always here for you.”

            I nodded. “Alright, thanks.”

            Percy smiled. “You thank me way too much. I should be thanking you.”

            I tilted my head to the side. “Thank me for what? I didn’t do anything.”

            Percy sighed. “Well, first off, you let me be your friend. Second off, you told me something that you’ve never wanted to relive and you refused to tell anybody about it, yet you told me. Thirdly, you actually agreed to move in with me, which I thought impossible whenever I think about it. Fourthly, you actually don’t hate me, and you actually think that I’m your friend as well, which is a huge accomplishment for me. Fifthly, every single time we get to spend time with each other always turns out to be the best experiences of my life.”

            I stared blankly at him. I didn’t even know what to reply back. What was I supposed to say? I didn’t even know Percy was so thankful about so many things that I just went along with.

            Then, I realized something. “Percy, you say every time we spend together is one of your best experiences, right?”

            Percy nodded. “Well, yeah, of course. Why?”

            “Well, because, right now, we’re spending time with each other. And, apparently, this is one of the best moments of your life. And all we’re doing is painting my wall black.”

            Percy laughed. “I said it  _turns out_  to be one of the best moments of my life.”

            I still didn’t get what he was aiming for. “But, all we’re doing is painting the walls black.”

            Percy sighed, a smile plastered on his handsome and perfectly tanned face. “We started out with painting your walls black. Then, it turns into a nice conversation between you and me. That’s why it’s one of my favorite moments in my life. I want to know you more, and every talk we have gets me closer and closer to the big mystery that is you. You’re such a huge mystery, Nico, even if you don’t know it yourself. I am just dying to solve the huge mystery that’s your whole life. There are so many missing pieces to the huge puzzle that screams ‘Nico’.”

            I raised an eyebrow at him. “There’s a puzzle that screams by name?”

            Percy chuckled. “It’s a metaphor.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Percy, I obviously knew that. I was just kidding.”

            “Wow, I feel really stupid now.”

            “You are  _always_  stupid, Percy.”

            Percy rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. “Just get back to painting, Nico.”

            “You just don’t want to hear how stupid you are, don’t you?” I smirked at him. “You know, I’m surprised you’re dating Annabeth. Isn’t she super smart?”

            Percy huffed, “I can be smart.”

            My smirk disappeared, but an eyebrow was raised. “Oh really? Never knew.”

            And the next thing I knew, there was black paint all over my face. And, there were three places where the paint could’ve come from: the wall, my paint roller, and Percy’s paint roller. I was pretty sure my face didn’t run into a wall. I was pretty sure I didn’t fling paint at my own face. So, the last option was…

            “I’m going to get you back for that, Percy.” I glared at him.

            Percy was trying to hold in his laughter, which was not working very well. “You wear black all the time. You should just splatter some black paint on your face to match. Your hair is even black to match.”

            I flung paint from my paint roller towards Percy’s face, hitting him on the side of his cheek. “Your hair is black as well, maybe you should join my trend.”

            Percy rolled his eyes, but a smirk soon came upon his face. “You want to go, huh?”

            “Want to go where? To get more black on your face?” I smirked at Percy.

            “I am so getting you back for this.”

            “I would dump the whole bucket of paint on you if the whole floor was covered in newspaper.

            “I will shove you against the wall until you’re covered in black paint.”

            “Then let’s see you try, Percy.”

            “Come at me, bro.”

            I laughed for the second time of the day. “No one says that anymore, Percy.”

            Percy smiled an amused smile. “Well, I just did.” Before I could even react, he flung some more paint onto my clothes.

            I looked down at my black T-shirt. “You can’t even see the black paint on my shirt.”

            “Maybe if I put more paint on it, it would become noticeable.”

            “Is that even possible?”

            Percy innocently shrugged. “I don’t know. Why don’t we find out?”

            And I didn’t like how this paint job turned out.

            Percy dipped his paint roller into a bucket of black paint. I was so mesmerized by how concentrated Percy looked (yes, I know I was stupid), that I didn’t even realize that Percy flung a bunch of paint on my shirt and part of my face. I blankly blinked at nothing in particular, and I came back to my senses once I heard Percy laughing.

            “You know, I should just throw my paint roller at you.” I pushed my bangs out of my face, getting a much clearer view of Percy—a very distracting view of Percy.

            Percy evilly smirked. “You should. If you did that, then I would be able to have two paint rollers.”

            I glanced at the two paint brushes, and Percy followed my gaze. We both glanced at each other, before making a mad dash towards them.

            And then I thought of a plan. While he was busy trying to get a paint brush, I rolled the paint roller all over the back of his blue shirt. Then, I decided to roll it in his hair until I was pushed to the ground by Percy.

            “You—are—evil.” Percy bent over me, pinning my arms above my head with one hand.

            I was a squirming mess underneath Percy. First of all, I was pinned underneath the person that I was madly in love with. Second of all, Percy was rolling the paint with his paint roller all over my forehead, my shirt, and my jeans. I tried kicking him in the stomach to get him off, but he stepped on my feet so I wouldn’t be able to move. He smirked evilly at me, before going back to paint me instead of the walls. We only had one and a half walls to paint now, and Percy was not making our job go any faster.

            “Percy! Get off me!” I yelled at him, trying to kick him in the shin.

            “You’re not trying to kick me in the shin, are you?” Percy raised an eyebrow at me, but the evil smirk was still plastered on his face. He continued to paint my shirt an even darker black—if that was possible.

            I rolled my eyes. “No, of course not. I’m trying to kick you in the  _balls_  now.”         

            Percy pouted. “You really are evil.”

            “Says the one that’s on top of me painting my face and the rest of me a different color,” I grumbled.

            Percy only laughed. “This is very enjoyable, you know.”

            “I hate you so much, Percy,” I huffed while Percy started to paint my forearm.

            Percy’s evil smile returned. “And now I actually know that you don’t mean it anymore. I love you too, Nico.”

            I rolled my eyes, but really, my heart was pounding so hard in my chest, I was afraid my ribs would break again. Percy directing that sentence to me was enough for me to explode. And, in addition to that, Percy was right over me, pinning my arms over my head so I wouldn’t be able to do anything. Why did Percy have to tease me so much, even though he didn’t know he was doing it? I bet he did know I liked him, and he was teasing me until I actually confessed to him about my feelings. Like I ever will do that. I’d do it over my dead body.

            I had to try really hard to not blush while all of this was happening, especially since Percy was painting my hip now, and it was  _really_  close to my erection. I gave up on struggling out of his grasp—it was impossible. Football training really made this guy strong.

            “Giving up?” Percy’s evil smirk was still intact. “You don’t seem like a person to give up.”

            “I’m just tired of struggling. There’s no use anyway.” I shrugged as Percy started to paint my leg.

            Percy laughed. “Maybe you’re just too weak.”

            “Maybe you’re just too strong,” I grumbled.

            Percy grinned down at me. “Maybe I am.”

            And that was when the pressure on my foot loosened. And that was also when I took my chance.

            My foot slipped right from underneath Percy and I shoved him backward in his chest using the flat of my foot. Not too hard, of course, or I could’ve seriously hurt him. I didn’t want him hurt after all he’s done for me anyway.

            Percy fell onto the floor on his behind; his grip that was pinning my arms above my head disappeared.

            “I will so get you back for this.” My grip on the paint roller tightened as a pushed myself up into an upright sitting position.

            Percy smirked. “And, how are you going to do that?”

            “Boys! Are you guys done painting the room?”

            Percy’s and my head whipped towards the direction of the door where Paul was leaning against the door frame.

            He examined our clothes, Percy’s hair, and my face, and he shook his head with a sigh, but a smile on his face. “You boys are unbelievable.”

            I sighed as well glancing at Percy. “Go talk to Percy about that.”

            Paul chuckled at my statement. “You guys have only one wall…and a half of a wall left, so hurry up and paint it so you guys can go and take a shower to wash off all the paint.” He sighed once more and slid a hand down his face. “I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming. Something like this happening should’ve been predicted easily when it comes to Percy.”

            I only laughed, while Percy pouted. “Wow, gee, thanks, Paul.”

            Paul only smiled back as a response. “Just hurry up and paint the last wall and a half.”

            Percy chuckled and got up from his seat on the ground. He walked over to me and stuck his right hand out, offering to help me up. I stared at it for awhile, because I usually never got help, and this was one of the things that got me curious. But, I only sighed and took the offered hand, while Percy pulled me up from my spot on the ground.

            “If you guys need any more help, don’t hesitate to come and get me.” Paul gave us a kind smile before making his leave down the hall.

            Percy flashed a genuine smile at me. “We should start painting the walls as fast as we can before the paint on us dries.”

            I nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

            And we went back to our regular paint job in my new soon-to-be-black room.


	14. Part 1) Chapter Thirteen

I was as bored as Hell. Wait, could Hell even be boring?

I was in Percy’s room on the edge of his blue bed, strumming the strings on my black electric guitar, trying to think of something to do. I didn’t know how boring it could be without Percy. He was at football practice since he had practice every Sunday. He wanted me to go with him since he didn’t want to see me super bored and with that look of forlorn he always described me to have whenever I was alone. I told him to go without me, but he almost managed to drag me away, until I got a phone call from the library right when half of my body was being dragged out of the door.

The phone call was from my boss from the library. She was really nice, and her name was Athena. She was informing me that I haven’t been working at the library for about a week now, and she wanted me to come back and help out. I told Percy, but Percy only pouted and told me to “not get lonely” before he left. But when I got there and Athena asked me why I haven’t been coming to work, I told her my whole story. She was like my second mother to me, and I loved her. The only thing that shocked me was when she told me that her daughter was Annabeth after my story and that she strongly despised the idea of me staying with Percy since she hated him so much. She then told me that it was okay for me to take a break for awhile, but I had no idea what changed her mind.

So, I only obliged and went home. And now all I was doing was strumming the strings on my black as midnight guitar. Why did I feel so bored now? Before all of… _this_  happened, I never got bored, but now I felt as if I could die from boredom.  I did the same things I did before all of  _this_  happened, but I still felt super bored. Something changed about me, but I couldn’t place my finger on it. I didn’t feel any different, so why did the activities that made me entertained before made me super bored? Maybe I just got tired of doing those activities, but that still wasn’t enough to convince me.

The doorbell rang, and I could hear someone from downstairs go and answer the door. I heard some chatting between the person that answered the door and the person that rang the doorbell, but I didn’t really care at the moment. It was probably some neighbor or someone that they knew really well. So, I continued to strum the strings of my guitar.

I was more than surprised when Percy’s door swung open to find Sally standing there with a gentle smile on her face, and another person behind her, though who it was I couldn’t see.

“Hi?” I awkwardly greeted, not sure how I should’ve approached this. No one in the Jackson/Blofis household didn’t even know I was home. They all thought I went to work at the library when Percy went to go to football practice. I didn’t really sneak in when I came home if that’s what you’re thinking. Sally was in the back in the garden working on watering the plants when I came in. Tyson was upstairs doing who knows what in his room, and Paul was at work. So, how did Sally know I was in my room?

Oh yeah, I haven’t mentioned this to you guys, but yesterday on Saturday after dinner, which was after Percy and I finished painting my walls, I found out that Paul’s last name was “Blofis”, but everyone else has the surname of Jackson. Well, Sally recently changed her last name to “Blofis”, so it was just Percy and Tyson that had the surnames of “Jackson”. Since I knew Paul was Percy’s step-father, I asked him what his last name was, since I got a bit curious. So, Paul answered that his last name was “Blofis”, while Percy laughed and made the ridiculous comment that it sounded just like “Blowfish”. I only smacked my forehead and sighed heavily when it happened.

I also forgot to mention why I was in  _Percy’s_  room at the moment. I was so caught up with being super bored that I forgot to explain everything. Since my walls in my new room were just recently painted, they weren’t exactly dry yet. And, I couldn’t stay in my room because all the furniture was pushed into the center of the room so the paint could dry. I could go into my room and get some of the stuff that I wanted, but Sally recommended that I shouldn’t sleep in my room, since all the furniture was crowded into the center, and it was hard getting access to everything.

Sally’s gentle smile grew wider. “Oh, hello. I didn’t expect for you to be home. I thought you went to work.”

I shrugged, loosening my grip on the guitar pick. “My boss said that I could have a break, and I’m guessing she wanted me to get used to moving in with you guys.” I frowned and blinked a couple of times. “Was it okay for me to tell her that I moved in with you?”

Sally only continued to smile. “Of course it is, Nico. You are just like family to us, just remember that.”

"Nico?!” I heard the other person behind Sally squeal in delight, and I had one surmise of who it could be.

            And, my suspicions were confirmed. Silena jumped from behind Sally and ran towards me, bear-hugging me like she had no problem in breaking my bones. I really needed to get used to her tight hugs, or I would die from most of my bones breaking, or from suffocation.

            “S—Silena?” I managed to make out while losing air at the same time. “What are you doing here?”

            Silena—thankfully—let go of me. “Percy said he forgot his helmet at his house, and he asked me to go fetch it for him. The cheerleaders are usually there watching the football team practice, so now I’m here getting Percy’s helmet. The first thing I asked when I got here was if I could see you!”

            Sally lightly chuckled. “She really did.”

            Silena grinned at me. “I was so depressed when I heard you were at work. But, you’re actually here!”

            I rolled my eyes. “Percy probably forgot his helmet because he was too busy trying to drag me with him.”

            Silena’s eyes brightened, and I knew that meant she had come up with an idea. “That’s perfect! Why don’t you come back with me to the field at school and watch them practice?”

            I shook my head. “No thanks. I already denied Percy, and my answer still stays the same.”

            Silena pouted. “That’s no fun. You know, I’m going to take you there anyway, right?”

            I sighed. “I knew that was going to happen.”

            Silena smiled widely at me. “Then, let me go get Percy’s helmet, and let’s go! We can talk so much while we’re there!”

            Sally came next to Silena and gave her Percy’s football helmet. “There you are. Have fun!”

            Silena nodded. “Thank you, Sally!” She turned to me, her bright smile still in place, and she grabbed my wrist. “Put your guitar away and let’s go!”

            I arched an eyebrow. “You know I play the electric guitar already?”

            Silena nodded, her grip on my wrist not lessening. “Percy already told me when we were talking earlier today. Now, come on!”

             I didn’t know whether I was grateful or ungrateful that I was now on some benches watching the football team practice. I was grateful because I finally had something to do, but I was ungrateful because I was pretty sure I was getting aroused by the way the sweat dripped down Percy’s muscular, but lean, frame. And the way his muscles flexed when he threw the football…Okay, I should really turn my attention elsewhere.

            Silena was happily chatting with Piper, who sat to her right. I sat to Silena’s left, all the way at the edge, just the place I wanted to be. And no, that was not sarcasm. The whole cheerleading team really was here, and Annabeth was also here, though, she was not on the cheerleading team. A few minutes later after I arrived at the field with Silena, I asked Annabeth why she didn’t join the cheerleading team, even though all her friends were on it. She replied with: “Cheerleading is not a very academic sport. It does not help the brain in any way other than trying to memorize the cheerleading sequence for the football game. I prefer to read and draw architectural blueprints in my free time.” She really was the daughter of my boss, Athena.

            “Hey, Nico!” Silena said, turning to me and grabbing my attention.

            My lips tilted downwards, but I didn’t turn to face her. My eyes were still on the football players who were practicing, trying to avoid a certain emerald eyed player. “I feel like you’re going to ask me something.”

            Silena only grinned. “You’re so smart, Nico. I’m not sure who’s more intelligent: you are Annabeth.”

            I sighed. “Just get to the question.”

            Silena giggled. “Why did you even move in with Percy anyway? I forgot to ask you and Percy in the car when I was driving you guys home two days ago.”

            My breathing hitched. Shit, what was I supposed to say? Did I even have time to tell Silena my whole entire back story? I didn’t want to break down in front of everyone in the field, but I felt bad for lying to Silena, who has cheered my life up many times. I sighed and frowned, trying to regain my composure. “It’s actually a long story, and I don’t want to tell it to you now. Maybe…later? When we’re not here?”

            Silena sighed, a look of depression in her eyes as she glanced at the ground. But, a few seconds later, her eyes met mine and she smiled again. “Sure, why not? At least I get to know sooner or later.”

            I nodded, trying to ignore the knot forming in my stomach from the thought of telling  _another_  person about my horrible life. “And, can I ask you a question?”

            Silena’s smile widened as she nodded at me. “Sure! Anything!”

            “Why were you so excited when you found out I was moving in with Percy? I mean, yeah I’m moving in with Percy, but I didn’t find it very exciting as you did. You freaked out like you won the lottery or something, and I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

            Silena’s eyes widened, and I knew she knew something that I didn’t that involved me. I frowned at her, waiting for her to respond.

            Silena’s voice was a low whisper, but I couldn’t figure out why. “I…I can’t tell you that. I’m sorry. But, it’s a secret.”

            I wanted to go deeper into the topic, but I had to bite my tongue to ask any more questions. Silena wanted to know why I moved in with Percy, and I didn’t tell her. So, why should I force Silena?

 I decided to ask one more question. “Does this secret…does it involve me?”

Silena nodded. “Yeah, it does. But, I can’t really tell you. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I couldn’t tell you why I moved in with Percy…at least…not now.”

Silena frowned, something I’ve never seen her do before. It was a rare thing, even though I’ve only known her for about a week. “Yeah, but, you’re going to actually tell it to me one day. This secret…I promised not to tell anyone. The person that told me it is kind of scared about it, even though that person really has nothing to worry about.”

“So…let me get this straight…this person is afraid of me?” I cocked up an eyebrow in mere confusion. “Is that how it involves me?”

Silena’s eyes widened once more, and she shook her head frantically. “No! No, it’s not that.” She giggled, something I couldn’t figure out either, but I decided to not comment on it.

“Alright…” I slowly replied. “But, that’s the only reasoning I can come up with from what you’ve said about this ‘secret’ so far.”

Silena giggled once more. “Oh, Nico. I really do hope you’ll find out one day. Really, I do.”

I knit my eyebrows together. “You really want me to know that this person is afraid of me?”

Silena playfully shoved my shoulder. “This person isn’t afraid of you! Do I need to nail it into your brain or something?”

I frowned. “That sounds really painful.”

Silena laughed, and I raised an eyebrow once more. “Oh, Nico. You don’t even see how funny you really are!”

I stared at her as if she’s lost her head. Well, in my opinion, she’s lost her mind. “Wait, what? You think I’m  _funny_?”

Silena’s laughter died, but she was still smiling from it. “Of course you’re funny! Your sarcasm is so hilarious!”

I sighed. “I don’t even try at these things.”

Silena giggled. “That’s just how you are. Everyone has their own personality, you know. They don’t act like it on purpose unless they want to hide who they truly are. I hope I don’t have a friend like that.”

“That was a very inspirational quote,” I commented. “I wouldn’t be very surprised if you got it off the internet for this very day.”

Silena playfully shoved me in the shoulder once more. “Nico!” She laughed. “Like I would know this day would come.”

“Well, you did seem very anxious into getting me here,” I pointed out.

Silena rolled her eyes, but her bright smile was still on her beautiful face. “Hey, I just wanted you to come here and socialize with me, not to say that ‘inspirational quote’.”

I rolled my eyes back. “Of course you didn’t.”

Instead of shoving me in the shoulder, she decided to flick my forehead. She stuck her tongue out at me. “You’re sarcasm, I swear.” She giggled after her tongue went into her mouth.

I smiled, but it soon died down and I looked away, not really wanting to see Silena’s reaction to my sudden change in emotion.

“Nico, are you okay?” Silena asked me, though I couldn’t see her since I was looking at the ground.

I nodded, though it was an obvious lie. “I’m fine. It’s just…never mind, you’ll find out soon.” I looked up again and glanced at her.

Silena had the look of both concern and worry for her expression. “Um, okay, if you say so. Is this related to…why you moved in with Percy?”

I nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

Silena nodded in acknowledgment. “I see. I didn’t think it was such an emotional and sensitive topic, but, I guess I was wrong.” She shrugged. “I hope I get to find out soon. My curiosity is just killing me. And, I want to help you in any way possible. Got that, Nico?”

I nodded once again. “I got it.”

Silena tilted her head to the side. “Since you moved in with Percy…does that mean that Percy knows?”

I stared at her for awhile, before nodding. “Yeah, he does. You can ask him about it later if you want to know so badly. He probably won’t tell you, since he promised me that he won’t tell anyone. Just tell him that I let you know why I moved in with him. He might tell you after you say that to him unless he thinks you’re lying.”

Silena nodded. “Okay, I think I might after they finish practicing. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I nodded again. “Yeah, I’m fine.”


	15. Part 1) Chapter Fourteen

           After their football practice, apparently, Percy noticed me being there without me noticing. And, I thought I was watching him the whole time. Wait, did I really just admit that? Don’t tell Percy if you ever meet him.

            I was the first one that Percy decided to go talk to. I probably would’ve felt a little more honored about Percy deciding to talk to me first out of all of his friends, but I was pretty sure I knew that he was coming to ask why I was even there and not at work.

            “What are you doing here, Nico?” Percy demanded after he closed the distance between us.

            I glanced up at him. Yep, I was right. I decided to play innocent, and if he actually remembered where I should have been. I cleared my throat, trying to tone down the blush that threatened to spread across my face due to how Percy looked after practice. I decided to never come to his football practice again. “What are you even talking about?”

            Percy rolled his eyes. “Stop playing stupid. Why are you here?”

            Apparently, everyone was watching our conversation, because I could feel their gazes on us. But whenever I stared at one of them, they were just in their own little conversation with someone else. And I had the strangest feeling that their conversations were fake. Why did they even care what Percy and I talked about anyway? Or did they just want to see how I talked to people I was comfortable with since I barely talked to them? Well, I wouldn’t say that I was  _exactly_  comfortable with a guy I secretly liked.

            I innocently shrugged. “I don’t know. Ask Silena; she was the one that dragged me here.”

            Percy’s eyes quickly flickered in Silena’s direction, who was currently having a fake conversation, before his gaze fell on me once again. “Aren’t you supposed to be working at the library today?”

            Since when did I tell him that I worked at the library? I narrowed my eyes at him as I pushed the question into the back of my mind, knowing full well that it would come up into my head again. I rubbed the back of my neck. “My boss decided to give me a break since I told her why I wasn’t working for so long.”

            Percy blinked a couple times at me, but I couldn’t figure out why. He shook his head after he snapped out of his daze. “You actually told her everything? Like,  _everything_?”

            I could pretty much feel Silena’s anxious and curious gaze as to what “everything” referred to on the side of my head, but I chose to ignore it. “She’s actually known for awhile now. I mean, she’s my boss; she’s bound to find out sometime.”

            Percy scanned my face with a look that I couldn’t read, but he chose not to respond to my statement. Instead, he glanced at Silena over to my right when she cleared her throat. I already knew what she wanted to talk about.

            “Percy? Can I,  _um_ , talk to you? Privately?” Silena timidly asked, glancing at me. I didn’t know if she wanted a confirmation or not, but I nodded, despite the knot forming in my stomach once again at the thought of my back story being brought up again.

            Annabeth eyed both Silena and me with an uncomfortable, yet calculating gaze. I gulped, feeling slightly more nervous. I had another strange feeling that she was in the middle of reading both of our minds—specifically mine.

            Percy cocked his head to the side, his expression mirroring one of curiosity. “ _Uh_ , sure, I guess?”

            They started to walk off, when I called out, “Hey, Percy?”

            Percy glanced behind his shoulder, while Silena turned around fully. “Yeah?”

            “When she asks, tell her. She’s not lying when she said I let her know,” I told Percy, who only raised an eyebrow.

            “What are you talking about?”

            I sighed. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

            Silena smiled at me. “Thanks, Nico.”

Percy glanced from Silena to me and then sighed. “What kind of conversation did you guys have earlier?”

Silena only giggled and tapped on Percy’s shoulder. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

“What is that, phrase of the day?” Percy said exasperatedly before he followed Silena farther into the field, where no one else was.

“Wait, Nico, you know what Silena wants to talk about?” Hazel turned towards me.

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?! How does that answer my question!”

I shrugged. “Who knows?”

Hazel sighed heavily and rubbed her right temple. “Why do you talk in riddles?”

I shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Nico!” Hazel laughed.

“No but seriously, what are they talking about?” Jason decided to join in on the conversation. “I’ve never seen Silena get like that.”

“She only gets like that when she’s afraid or nervous,” Beckendorf answered, taking a swig from the half-empty water bottle in his right hand.

“Maybe she wants to ask Percy out on a date.” Leo snickered. I totally forgot to mention that Leo was here as well, even though he wasn’t on the football team either.

Annabeth sent the Latino a venomous death glare, crossing her arms across her chest. Beckendorf shoved Leo off his chair. I smiled at them, clearly amused.

“ _Ow_ , jeez guys, can’t take a joke?” Leo grumbled, pushing himself off the ground and dusting himself off. He glanced at me and saw me smiling. “Glad you enjoy my suffering.” He dropped himself into his seat.

Everyone glanced at me and my smile instantly died. I blinked blankly at all of them, unsure of what to say. I felt very self-conscious, and I didn’t like it. No one ever noticed me; I made myself unnoticeable on purpose. But, now  _I_  was the center of attention, and I certainly hated it.

“Wow, well would you look at that. Nico was actually smiling.” Will smirked.

“I should’ve gotten my camera ready.” Kayla sighed.

“You guys are all idiots,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and slouching in my seat. I glared at all of them around me.

“Nico, you are just so cute. You are the cutest freshman I’ve ever seen. I’m surprised I haven’t noticed you earlier,” Piper cooed, pinching my cheeks.

I swatted her hand away and sat back up in my chair. “I make myself unnoticeable.”

“Why?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

I realized that I had said way too much for my liking. I opened and closed my mouth several times, unsure of what to say for the second time of the day. I decided to keep my mouth shut, and my lips tilted downward. I soon responded, “None of your business.”

“Come on, Nico. We’re your friends, right?” Hazel encouraged. “You can tell us anything.”

“Not to be mean or anything, but I don’t trust you guys just yet,” I muttered under my breath.

Apparently, Reyna heard me. “I seem to not trust you either.”

“Reyna!” Piper exclaimed. “Not helping!”

Reyna rolled her eyes. “Just saying.”

“You seem to just trust Percy and Silena just fine,” Butch pointed out.

I frowned. “That’s because I’ve talked to them the most.”

“Then, maybe we should start getting to know you more.” Will ended up taking Silena’s spot next to me and swinging an arm around my shoulders. “So, when’s your birthday?”

I shrugged his arm off of my shoulders. “January 29th.”

“Holy shit it’s the 23rd!” Will exclaimed, letting his arm that was pushed off return to his side. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

I furrowed my brows. “You guys never asked. I never make such a big deal about my birthday anyway.”

“You don’t?!” Hazel asked, clearly shocked.

“Now we have to make a huge deal about his birthday, I’m guessing,” Reyna surmised.

Piper giggled. “Oh, you bet.”

I rolled my eyes at them. “You guys don’t have to. I mean, Silena and Percy already got me a gift on Friday. And I already told them I didn’t need one. You guys don’t have to if you want.”

“Are you kidding?” Beckendorf coughed. “Even if I just met you, you’re still my friend.”

I sighed heavily. “Don’t tell me you guys are going to get super expensive presents.”

“Why? Did Silena and Percy get you something super expensive?” Miranda ventured.

“Most likely. On Friday at the mall, they told me to wait outside while they went into Kay Jewelers,” I answered.

“Jewelry? You don’t seem like one to wear stuff like that,” Butch said.

            “If both Silena and Percy agreed on the idea, then I’m pretty sure it’s more than just regular jewelry.” Annabeth finally decided to speak up to everyone. Her calculating gaze that was studying me fell.

            “Well, no offense, but they’re both idiots,” Leo remarked.

            “You’re one to talk,” Frank and I spoke simultaneously. We both glanced at each other and Frank chuckled.

            “Looks like Nico’s on my side.” Frank smirked at Leo.

            “Man, you guys just hate me.” Leo shook his head.

            “I feel like you guys made a bet on whose side I would be on,” I guessed, glancing between Leo and Frank.

            “They did.” Piper rolled her eyes as if to say:  _Boys._

“You guys really hate each other, do you?” Annabeth directed at Frank and Leo.

            “I’m pretty sure you can answer that yourself, Ms. Brain Girl,” Leo replied, resulting in a book hitting his forehead.

            “Jason, can you pass that back to me?” Annabeth asked like she didn’t just throw a book at Leo.

            “Wow, thanks for the sorry!” Leo waved his arms in the air for emphasis.

            Annabeth only rolled her eyes as she caught the book she threw at Leo. “No problem.”

            “Hey, look who’s coming back.” Butch pointed a finger towards Silena and Percy, who were currently walking back.

            When they finally reached us, Silena was staring at the ground as drops of water touched the ground. I then realized that she was  _crying_ , but for what, I wasn’t sure. Was she feeling bad for me? Was that why? Percy was staring back at her with a sympathetic look on his face.

            “N-Nico,” Silena began through tears, “I’m so so so sorry.”

            I shook my head. “You don’t have to be. I mean, what did you do? It’s not your fault.”

            “It’s my fault for not being there when you need someone!” Silena retorted, continuing to have her conversation with the ground.

            “It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s a thing of the past, don’t worry.” I attempted to reassure her.

            “But, Percy said you haven’t gotten over it,” Silena replied.

            I shot Percy a look. “You really told her everything.”

            He put his hands up defensively. “She told me to. Every single thing, she forced me to say. I wasn’t even going to talk about how you felt until she started to yell at me.”

            “Yell? Silena doesn’t yell,” Miranda said, making Percy’s and my gaze fall towards her.

            “This ‘everything’ must really be troubling,” Jason muttered.

            “And, even if she  _was_  yelling, we would’ve heard it,” Katie said.

            “They were standing all the way down to the end of the field. And, we were in our own conversation,” Annabeth stated.

            “That is true,” Jake agreed.

            “Okay, my curiosity is killing me. What were you guys talking about?” Beckendorf got up from his chair and went to go hug Silena around the waist.

            Silena shook her head, snaking her arms around his neck, and burying her face into her chest. “I c-can’t tell you. I’m sorry, Charlie.” She sobbed into his chest, but I wondered why she sobbed so much over it like it happened to  _her_  instead of  _me_.

            “I bet that’s how I looked like when I explained it to you, huh, Percy?” I glanced over to Percy, who glanced back at me when he heard his name in my sentence.

            Percy gave me a sorrowful look. He parted his lips before he started to speak seconds later. “Yeah, I guess.” He glanced back at Silena and Beckendorf. “I don’t really like to think about how my friends cry though.”

            “But, what were you guys talking about?” Will brought up again.

            “Like what Silena said, we can’t tell you.” Percy shrugged his shoulders.

            “Why not? I’m pretty sure we have to get Nico’s permission since from earlier, he said for you to tell her,” Jason pointed out, glancing from Percy to me. “I’m guessing this is Nico’s secret or something.”

            Percy glanced at me, unsure if he should answer, but I nodded, answering for him. “Yeah, it’s my secret, I guess. I just don’t like talking about it, which is why I made Percy tell her for me.” I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold in tears from just thinking about it.

            Annabeth, surprisingly, walked over to me and wrapped an arm around me. “It’s okay, Nico. Don’t push yourself.” She whispered to me. She glanced up at all the others. “Don’t push him either. If he doesn’t want to talk about it, leave him alone. He looks like he’s had enough anyway.”

            Everyone nodded, and to my surprise, even Reyna nodded and said, “He’ll tell us when he’s ready. For now, I agree with Annabeth. We should leave him.”

            Annabeth pulled me closer, and I realized that this was the side of Annabeth that I was thinking about yesterday while I was painting my room. This was the side Annabeth had yet to show me, and now she was opening up to me. Did that mean I should open up to her? Could I even trust her just yet?

            A warm feeling tugged at the pit of my stomach before a tear rolled down my cheek. I let it fall, not giving a care about it anymore. Annabeth wiped it away from my cheek for me, and I could see Percy’s eyes widening at the tear from the corner of my eye. I hugged myself tighter, and Annabeth’s arm around me tightened. I was glad to find Annabeth’s other side and not her calculating side that studied me like a Calculus problem.

            And the day on the field continued to be just like that.


	16. Part 1) Chapter Fifteen

            “Nico? Are you sure you’re okay?” I stopped in my tracks and glanced behind my shoulder to see Silena timidly walking up to Percy and me. Percy and I were about to leave the field and go back home after their football practice. We were one of the first ones to leave, mainly because Percy was concerned about me.

            I nodded, fully turning around to converse properly with her. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m learning to get over it, thanks to you guys.” I still felt kind of depressed over the whole ordeal, but I didn’t want to worry Silena anymore more than she already is.

            Silena ran up and wrapped her arms around my neck, but it wasn’t the suffocating hugs she usually gave me as a greeting. It was a more comforting and gentle hug. What’s the word? Affectionate. It was an affectionate hug that she gave me. One that I haven’t gotten in five years, and the last one I got it from was Bianca. She was so gentle with me during this hug like I was made out of glass.

            “I’m sorry,” She apologized again, pushing away and rubbing the tears off her cheeks.

            I sighed but gave her a sympathetic smile. “It’s fine. It wasn’t your fault anyway. So, you have nothing to be sorry about.”

            She nodded once again. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, Nico!”

            I nodded, my smile dropping. I couldn’t keep a smile for more than five seconds or something. “Yeah. I’ll see you.”

            “Why did you decide to tell Silena?” Percy asked once he closed the front door. There was a note on the door stating that Sally went out grocery shopping. I only shrugged my shoulders before shoving my fists into my pockets.

            “Did something happen today?”

            We both spun around and faced the couch to find Paul reading yet, another new book called The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I think I’ve read that book. I guess it was a good book, but I still feel kind of sympathetic to this one character that I can’t recall the name of. He was kind of like me.

            “ _Uh_ , no,” Percy faked a smile, “nothing happened. Thanks for being concerned though.”

            Paul nodded, though he didn’t seem very convinced. He could probably read through all of Percy’s fake smiles by now. “If you guys say so. How was football practice? Sally told me you went with Silena to the school to watch them, Nico.”

            “Yeah, I did.” I rubbed the back of my neck as if it could erase the memory that happened.

            “And, football practice was  _t-ir-ing_.” Percy groaned while stretching, while I glanced anywhere in the room other than Percy.

            Paul chuckled in amusement. “At least you’re getting the exercise you need.

            Percy only rolled his eyes as he took my wrist and dragged me upstairs. “Have fun reading?”

            Paul smiled and shook his head. “You need to understand how important reading is in your life.”

            Percy didn’t reply as he dragged me upstairs. I already knew he was going to repeat his question from earlier when we first entered his house. I decided to just play it like it was no big of a deal.

            He dropped my wrist once we made it into his room and closed the door By now, I was glad I wasn’t nervous when I was in his room anymore. I was still nervous about sleeping in his room with Percy present in it, which I did last night. But, I chose to sleep on the ground, even though Percy offered me his bed. Paul insisted that I sleep in Percy’s room until the paint on my walls completely dry. So, one more day of sleeping in Percy’s room, and I finally get to go back to mine.

            “Why did you decide to tell Silena?” Percy asked me, standing in front of me as I seated myself on Percy’s dark blue Amia chair that was placed on his desk.

            I shrugged. “She wanted to know, so I told her. I mean, I trust her a lot too. And, I feel like I owe it to her after all she’s done for me.”

            Percy sighed heavily and sat on the edge of his bed. I spun the chair that I sat on so that he faced Percy. “You always think you need to ‘owe it’ to us, don’t you?”

            I frowned in mere confusion. “Well, yeah. That’s how life works.”

            “No, it doesn’t,” Percy objected. “Some people don’t want anything in return.”

            “Did you not want me to tell her?” I decided to ask.

            “I thought you didn’t want to tell anyone.”

            “I don’t, I hate thinking about it, let alone talking about it with someone else.”

            “Then why did you tell Silena?”

            I sighed. “I…I don’t know, I guess. Maybe it was because I thought it was unfair if I told you and not her. You guys…are the only people I actually consider my friends. The others are just kind of there. I don’t pay much attention to them. It was why I felt so awkward when both of you left to talk to each other about my…past.”

            It was silent for a while before Percy collapsed on his back on the bed. “I don’t even know why I’m asking this anyway. It’s your past, so I shouldn’t be telling when or when not to tell someone.”

            I shook my head and rested my feet on the edge of his bed. “It’s fine. Thanks for being…concerned I guess.”

            Percy held himself up with his elbows and smiled at me. “You don’t have to thank me either, you know.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Don’t take my kindness.”

            Percy chuckled and sat up. “Don’t be like that, Neeks.”

            “Neeks?” I raised both my eyebrows at him.

            “Yeah,” Percy’s smile only grew wider, “I needed a nickname for my best friend, you know.”

            “But…Neeks?” I stared at him incredulously. “Seriously?”

            Percy only laughed. “Yep. It seems perfect.”

            I sighed. “You know, I hate nicknames.”

            “That’s what makes giving you a nickname even better.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Then, since you give all your best friends a nickname, then what was Grover’s?”

            “I called him G-man.” Percy shrugged. “It fits him so well.”

            “Wow,” I sarcastically commented, “you are the master at nicknames.”

            “I know right!” Percy triumphed.

            “Whatever, what should I call you then if you’re going to give me a nickname?”

            “ _Hm_ ,” Percy thought for a minute, until he replied, “most of my friends call me Perce.”

            “Perce? As in… _purse_?” I clarified.

            Percy shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much. I don’t remember who gave me that nickname though.” There was a pause before Percy asked, “Do you plan on telling anyone else?”

            “Telling everyone about what?” I stopped before the gears turned in my head. “Oh, you mean about...Well, no, at least, I don’t think so. It kind of depends.”

            “Depends on what?” Percy ventured.

            “Depends if I make anymore closer friends,” I replied. “That I actually trust, of course.”

            “I think you will make more friends that you can trust though,” Percy said.

            I arched an eyebrow. “And, why is that?”

            Percy shrugged and leaned his back against the wall his bed was next to, stretching out his legs. “I don’t know. You just seem like a guy that’s easy to get along with.”

            “Seriously? My eyebrow continued to be raised. “I pushed you guys away like three times.”

            “Well yeah,” Percy agreed, “but when you  _finally_  gave in, it was easy talking to you. It just felt…natural. It felt like I’ve been friends with you my whole life.”

            I didn’t really know how to respond to that. Actually, I felt like that too when I first met all of them, minus the awkwardness from being Percy’s secret crush. Why was it so easy for me to talk to people? I thought I hated people? Maybe I just couldn’t be honest with my feelings. Maybe I feel somewhat differently now that I had friends who actually liked me for who I was. Things can change; everything does.

            “I…guess so,” I finally replied.

            “I don’t see why you push people away.” Percy sat Indian style on his bed. “You’re a nice guy.”

            “Thanks,” I thanked slowly, “I’ll…take that as a compliment.”

            Percy grinned. “No problem. So, what do you want to do now?”

            I shrugged. “What do you want to do? And hey, where’s my birthday present?”

            Percy’s grin turned into a smirk. “So you  _do_  want a birthday present, huh?”

            I rolled my eyes. “I’m just curious as to what it is. You guys didn’t have to go out of your way to buy it anyway.”

            “Of course we do, we’re your friends,” Percy said. “That’s what friends do you know.”

            I fidgeted in my seat. “I don’t know. I just feel…spoiled...that’s all.”

            Percy raised an eyebrow. “You feel spoiled…seriously?”

            I nodded. “Well, yeah. What’s so wrong about that?”

            Percy sighed exasperatedly. “You feel spoiled even though you haven’t gotten a single thing from anybody in five whole years. There is definitely something wrong there.”

            I frowned. “Well…I got money from my boss. Does that count for anything?”

            Percy rolled his eyes. “No, that doesn’t count for anything. You had to work for that money. This time, someone’s giving you a present out of compassion.” Percy rubbed a hand down his face. “You are so oblivious when someone’s trying to be nice to you.”

            “Well excuse me,” I huffed. “I’m just not used to this concept anyway. I threw it away years ago. Now I have to adapt to it again.”

            Percy smiled. “We’ll always be there for you, you know. Don’t think we’re ever going to bail on you.”

            “I really doubt that,” I muttered quietly to myself, but Percy seemed to have caught it.

            His hands clenched into fists like he was ready to punch me, but he refrained himself from doing so. “Nico…sometimes…you really piss me off. Why can’t you just trust me that I’m not going to leave you?”

            My heart fluttered over the fact that he only mentioned himself not leaving, but I decided to try and ignore it and think he was just thinking too fast to mention the others. “Because I did that five years ago, and look what happened,” I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest and slouching.

            Percy’s expression mirrored sadness. “It’s not going to happen again. Just trust me, Nico. I’m not going to die or leave you on your own.” His eyes became even sadder. “I’d never be able to do that to anyone.”

            I thought about that for a few moments. What if Percy really  _did_  leave me? What if everything backfired one day and he stopped caring for me because he thought I was a nuisance? I certainly did feel like one. I felt as if I took all his free time away from him. When he could be going out with his friends, he chose to stay home with me. My heart clenched at the thought, not from happiness, but the complete opposite. I was pretty much taking his freedom away, yet he still told me he didn’t mind. What if he really did mind, but he just wanted to be nice? He was just probably giving me the one thing I hated from people: sympathy.

            I didn’t want to think about it. I trusted Percy with my whole heart now. I didn’t close him off anymore. I didn’t know  _when_  that exactly happened, but it happened at one point. And, the one thing I hated about life was that I couldn’t reverse anything I did. Once you do something, you can’t erase it. It’ll always be there. If you write something out and then erase it, it’ll still be in your memory. It’ll always be there, and I hated that. So, what if I did something wrong that I didn’t know of? What if I made too many mistakes? I tend to make many mistakes in my life. I guess I see why my father called me a failure.

I unconsciously gritted my teeth. My father. I haven’t thought about him in awhile. What a coincidence that I suddenly thought about him when I was thinking about Percy leaving me. My father left me, even if he was still in my life. Percy could leave me whenever he wanted to as well. I mean, we were only friends. It could happen anytime. Life wasn’t perfect, especially for someone like me. I was pretty sure our friendship would end by the end of the month. That’s why I didn’t want to get close to people anymore. I was afraid…afraid of them leaving me. Like my mother and Bianca.

Suddenly Percy was up from his spot and in front of me, caressing my cheek while lifting my face up so that it faced his. His hand was wet, but I couldn’t figure out why. He had a look of concern, worry, and sadness written across his face. What did my expression look like to make Percy feel that way?

“I don’t know what you’re thinking in that head of yours,” Percy started, “but I know it’s something stupid.” His tone was serious, one of the things that frightened me about Percy. “What are you thinking?”

“N-nothing,” I stuttered. My voice was unwavering, and I realized Percy’s hand was wet because of  _me_. Because of my tears, the tears that I didn’t know that were currently rolling down my cheek as Percy wiped them away.

“It’s obviously something,” Percy objected, his grip on my cheek tightening. He was obviously angry at me. He probably already knew what I was thinking, but he just wanted to hear me say it to him. Or he just wanted a confirmation of what he thought I was thinking. Either way, I still didn’t want to answer, but his serious expression scared the Hell out of me.

I gulped, and I knew Percy could tell I was nervous because his grip on my cheek loosened. I took a deep breath before I told him. “I was just thinking of what might happen if you actually…do leave me. I was thinking about how much I take away from you, and how much of a bother I was to you. I mean, to be honest, I trust you with my whole heart. But, I never wanted to because I was afraid of being close to someone. I was afraid of them leaving me. I don’t…want it to happen ever again. But,” My heart clenched even more at the thought, “I know…I know it’s going to happen soon. I  _know_  it will. It  _will_  happen, and I know that person that’s going to leave me is you. The person that I care about the most is going to leave me because that’s how my life works.” I smiled, but it was humorless. “I’m pretty much a walking bad luck charm, so you better stay away from me, you know.” Another tear made its way down, but I let it fall.

Percy didn’t respond, which made me even more nervous. I didn’t know what he was thinking, and I didn’t think I wanted to know. His expression was now unreadable, and nothing reflected in his eyes. It made me scared. I just wanted to shove him away, run into my room, and lock myself in there for who knows how long. I was too scared to know what Percy thought. What if he was thinking about the possibilities from what I just said to him?

Percy released his grip on my cheek, and he let his hand fall down to his side. He glanced down towards the floor until he looked up at me with determination in his eyes. My eyes widened at the sudden change in emotion, but I waited to see what he would say to me.

“I  _won’t_  be the one to leave you, Nico.” Percy began with a new set of determination. “And I  _know_  that for a fact. I  _will_  stay by your side for an eternity. I trust you with my whole heart too. And, life changes, Nico, all the time. And I know you know that. I will  _never_  leave you no matter what happens, or no matter what you say. You can push me away, but I won’t leave. I stand my ground here, with you. I don’t care what anyone says about you. I’ll defend you the whole entire way. You’ve suffered too much, and you don’t need any more suffering in your life. Sure, I’ve been through the same thing as you. But, I had my mom to support me. You…you had to deal with your dad and your mom’s and your sister’s…” He hesitated, but I nodded to let him know it was okay “…deaths.” He stopped for a moment, probably thinking of what else to say, but his last sentence hit me so hard, I didn’t think I could speak for days.

“And, I love you, Nico.”


	17. Part 1) Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why these chapters are taking me forever to upload is that I'm kind of scanning through them for any mistakes before I post them on here. I'm really tempted just to upload it all from Wattpad, but it's got a ton of mistakes on Wattpad as I don't really proofread my work. Hopefully, I'll be done uploading this story soon so I can move onto my two other ones.

            My throat became dry, and my eyes became so wide I thought that they would pop out of their eye sockets. Wasn’t Percy with Annabeth? Why would he like someone like me? Did he even know what he was saying? And, did he mean in a friendly kind of way, or in an actual loving kind of way? Millions of questions swam in my head, by my throat decided to not work, so I just stared in complete shock at the other person in the room.

            I cleared my throat and decided to think that he meant it in a friendly kind of way. I regained my composure as best as I could and tried to sound as normal as possible. “I do too, you know. You’ve…done a lot for me anyway.”

            Percy sighed and he grasped my cheek once more. “No, Nico. Not as a friend. Even more than that, and I know you know what I mean.”

            My breathing almost stopped. “Are you serious?! That’s…how…but…” I didn’t even know what to ask first.

            Percy chuckled. “I know, I know. It seems unbelievable, huh? I told Silena when we were in Kay Jewelers on Friday. I was really confused and scared about what people would think, but after seeing what happened to you today just now, I don’t really care anymore.” Percy gave me a genuine smile. “I really do love you, Nico. Really, I do. I had to tell you sometime, you know. I couldn’t keep it with me forever.”

            “But…” I had so many things on my mind right now, my mouth wouldn’t cooperate. I decided to try again. “But aren’t you dating…Annabeth? What about her?”

            “Well,” Percy started, “I do love her. But, not as much as you. I just love making you smile, but I hate seeing that look you get whenever your smile goes away. I want to make you happy without seeing that look. I want to make you smile in your life more than you do now. You really deserve it. You don’t deserve anything that happened in your life before. I was actually planning on breaking up with her soon…”

             I was totally speechless. Percy was going to break up with Annabeth…for me? “But…”  
 I shook my head. “You don’t have to. I mean, I know you really like her. Maybe this all a mistake.” I gave him a nervous smile. “Surely you don’t actually mean it, right? I mean, maybe you’re just over-thinking this. Nothing good ever happens in my life.” My nervous smile faltered. “So, you actually liking me was never a possibility that could ever happen.”

            Percy raised an eyebrow. “So, you actually do like me?” He smirked.

            I glanced to the side, the blush spreading across my face very evident. “Well, actually, I’ve liked you since I started high school before we actually met.”

            Percy blinked momentarily at me. “Wow, I didn’t even know that. Is that why…?”

            I already knew what he was thinking. “Yeah, that’s why I hated contact from you so much.”

            Now it was Percy’s turn for his eyes to become wide. “That…explains a lot about you now.” Percy rubbed the back of his neck.

            “You know,” I started, “you don’t have to break up with Annabeth for me.” I ignored the clenching of my heart. “I’m content with what I have now with you.” I would’ve smiled, but I knew it would give away how I actually felt if I did.

            “Are you sure about that?” Percy asked, but I avoided his gaze that was on me. “I’d do anything for you. And, it’s fine if I have to—”

            “You should stay with her,” I interrupted. “It’s better.”

            “Better for whom, exactly?” Percy asked. “Better for me?” The way he said it made me uncomfortable. I was pretty sure he was hinting at…at  _something_ , but I couldn’t figure out what.

            “I… _uh_ …”My voice died. I didn’t know what to reply now.

            “If you actually think that’s it’s better for me, then I don’t know what to tell you.” I continued to avoid Percy’s eyes. “I know you’re smart, Nico. You can’t expect that something’s better for someone else if you don’t know how they really feel.”

            “Then…how do you feel?” I hesitantly asked.

            “How do I feel?” He asked himself. He took my chin and made me face him. He had a smile plastered on his handsomely tanned face. “I feel really happy right now. Happy that you actually like me the same way I do to you.” His smile disappeared. “But, at the same time, I feel depressed that I made you sad without even knowing it. You had to push me away because your feelings were so strong, yet I always got in your way. You loved me, but I always told you that you were my best friend.” He soon smiled again, and he chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. “And, I feel stupid for thinking about how you would react if I told you that I loved you, even though you secretly loved me back.” His hand rubbing his neck fell back to his side. “I’m feeling many things right now, so I guess I couldn’t tell you with just one feeling described. Even if I’ve only known you for like what, five days? I somehow fell in love with you. And, that just proves how great of a guy you really are. I’ve known Annabeth for three years now, and we’ve only dated for a few months. It was so easy just falling in love with you, which proves just how much I want to be with you, doesn’t it?”

            “I-I guess. But if you don’t want to do be with me, then that’s fine with me.” I shifted my gaze towards the wall behind him.

            “Who said that I didn’t want to be with you?”

            My gaze rapidly made its way back to Percy. “Seriously? You really want to be with someone like me?”

            Percy sighed, but a smile was on his face. “See? You’re still pushing me away. And, what have I been saying this whole time?”

            “That…you want to be with me,” I hesitantly replied.

            Percy chuckled. “See? You are pretty intelligent. You just don’t want to face the truth. No wonder you’re so good at lying.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Shut up. I just…I just want people to be happy.”

            “Yet you don’t let  _yourself_  be happy,” Percy remarked. “You’d rather have the whole world be happy but yourself. Do you really not care for yourself that much? Have you ever realized that there are people out there that actually want you to be happy?”

            “Well…” I began, but what was I supposed to say?

            “I’ll...I’ll figure something out, okay?” Percy said.

            I didn’t know  _what_  he was talking about, but I nodded. How was our friendship going to be now that we both like…or… _love_  each other?

            And here was the part where I would’ve laughed out loud if you told me this at chapter one.

            Percy’s face was a little too close to mine, and our lips were pushed together. Percy was  _kissing_  me. I was in momentary shock, and I didn’t know whether or not to respond. His lips were so soft, while his tongue ran over my bottom lip. My eyes were even wider than before when he confessed to me. His thumb rubbed back and forth on my other cheek, and his hand snaked around my neck. Percy’s eyes were closed, and I didn’t know what he was thinking. It was my first ever kiss, and I didn’t know  _what_  to think. But for one, I felt happy. I haven’t felt any happier in the last five years.

            When he pulled back, I was still in shock. Not a _real_  shock, but, you know. Percy chuckled and poked me in the forehead, which snapped me out of my daze. I blinked blankly at him with wide eyes, still waiting for an explanation.

            He only continued to smile at me. “I’ll do something about it, okay? This won’t be the last time.”

            Before I could ask him what he even meant, he left the room.

            I didn’t really want to face everyone after my break-down the previous day. It wasn’t as big as a break-down from when I talked about what happened five years ago with Percy, but I still cried from it. To be honest, I didn’t feel embarrassed by it. I just didn’t want to face the questions that would follow. I wanted to avoid questions from them as best as possible. So, I went to the one place at lunch where I would be able to sit alone.

            Well, I  _thought_  I would be able to sit alone. 

            I was sitting against the tree that I used to sit at before I acquainted Percy and everyone else. My right leg was bent and my elbow rested upon it as I stared off at nothing in particular. It was freezing outside, so most of the students attending the school were inside, so I didn’t think anyone would actually find me. I was just glad I brought my black Aviator jacket today, so I wouldn’t end up freezing to death.

            But the most unexpected person came up to me.

            She wore a black winter jacket with fur lining the hood of it. She wore dark blue jean shorts—despite the cold—that ended just above her knees. She had black boots on that matched her jacket, and I could tell that underneath her jacket, she had an orange T-shirt on. What was imprinted onto the T-shirt, I couldn’t tell. Her blond hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her hands were shoved deep into her jacket pockets. Her gray eyes held mild relief as she looked down at me instead of an unnerving gaze.

            “There you are.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “I guessed that you would be here. Can I sit down?”

            I nodded quietly as she slid down to the empty spot next to me by the tree. She turned to me and gave me a smile—surprisingly.

            “You know, Silena’s freaking out that you’re not there so I offered to go find you and bring you back. But, I’m guessing you don’t want to go back, do you?” Annabeth surmised.

            “Yeah, I kind of don’t,” I finally replied verbally.

            Annabeth shrugged. “Makes sense. How’s your day been going? I don’t really remember my freshman year that well, other than the fact that I met Percy and everyone else that year.”

            I shrugged. “Same as always, I guess.”

            “Boring?” Annabeth suggested with a small laugh.

            I managed to crack a small smile. “Yeah, pretty much.”

            “So, I heard you’re smart, isn’t that right?” Annabeth asked. “Maybe you could be my new study partner. I haven’t managed to find anyone of my caliber.”

            My smile fell—as always—but I managed to hide my look of forlorn. But, I was pretty sure she saw right through it. “I’m not even in the same grade as you.”

            She shrugged in response. “At least you get a head start on what you’ll learn in junior year, right?”

            “I guess,” I agreed. Why wasn’t she asking me anything from yesterday? Wasn’t she curious?

            She read my mind like it was written across my forehead. “You’re wondering why I’m not asking you anything from yesterday, aren’t you?”

            I still wonder how the mind-reading thing works. I nodded. “Yeah, I am. How…did you know?”

            Annabeth shrugged. “Just a guess. I mean, you  _are_  smart. And I know you wouldn’t forget what happened yesterday. Plus, I’m pretty sure that’s why you’re avoiding the rest of them. Is it because you don’t want to answer their questions?”

            “What if I’m embarrassed from yesterday because I cried?”

            Annabeth waved her hand. “Oh please. That was one tear. And, you don’t seem like the type of guy to get embarrassed by that.”

            I grunted. “You are really smart.”

            Annabeth smiled. “Thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment. You know, I had a bad childhood too, just like you.”

            I arched an eyebrow, but I said nothing. I wanted to ask her, but I didn’t want to barge into something she didn’t want to talk about, like what she was doing with me.

            Annabeth glanced up at the dark gray skies. “It’s fine. You can ask me.” She looked at me in the corner of her eyes. “Though, I might as well start explaining.”

            I shook my head. “You don’t have to, you know.”

            Annabeth sighed. “Silena says that I scare you. Is that true?”

            I blinked at her before replying. “Well, yeah, kind of.”

            Annabeth giggled—something I’d never thought I could see Annabeth do. “Well, at first I may scare people. I’m not very good at making friends. But, along the way, I’ll get better.”

            I nodded. “You do seem better from when I first met you.”

            Annabeth shrugged. “I just don’t trust people at first glances. Silena is too trusting.”

            I nodded. “I can agree to that.”

            Annabeth smiled. “Well, on to my story, huh?”

            “You sure?” I asked her again.

            Annabeth nodded. “I never go back on my word.” She sighed, mentally preparing herself for her story. “When I was little, my dad hated me. We fought over every little thing, but now that I look back on it, I never knew why. Maybe it was because I reminded him so much of my actual mom. He divorced her when I was about three.

            “I fought with my dad so much, we ended up causing problems for the family. My twin brothers would also side with my dad since I had a different mom than them. My brothers thought I was weird. And not in a funny type of way, in a freak type of way.” Her eyes clouded with sorrow at the thought.

“My step-mom would never believe a word that I said.  My biggest fear is spiders, and there was a large family of spiders living in my room. They crawled on my bed at night and bit me in many places, and I screamed for my dad, even if we did fight a lot. But, my step-mom thought I was just lying because whenever she came in, the spiders would hide away from all the light. And, every time I got dressed each morning, the bite marks would fade away. My step-mom probably thought I was a freak. So, I ran away when I was seven.”

“You ran away?” I asked for confirmation.

She nodded. “Yeah.” She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I went to go see if I could find my real mom. I lived on the streets for about a year or so, and it was the worst year of my life. It was so cold at night, and I didn’t bring many things with me when I ran away. I almost starved to death out there. I’m just glad you didn’t consider running away.”

“Along the way, I bumped into Jason’s older sister: Thalia Grace. I met her when I was sitting on a bench by an alley I ended up sleeping in a lot. She said I looked pretty lonely and out of shape, so she started to talk to me, I told her about what happened, and she let me stay home with her, which is where I met Jason. But at the time, I didn’t get along very well with Jason. We barely talked to one another when we met.

“I told Thalia that I wanted to find my mom. Her name’s Athena. Thalia promised that she would do whatever she could. So one day, when she came back from a trip to the library, she told me the boss that worked there was named Athena. This was when I was about nine or ten years old. So the next day, we visited the library again, and my mom recognized me as fast as she laid eyes on me. Later on that day, I packed my stuff that I got from Thalia and went to live with my real mom. I didn’t see Thalia until I became friends with Jason in freshman year—five or six years later.

“My life became a whole lot better when I started to live with my mom. I told her about what happened and why I ran away. She would comfort me at night because I was still afraid of spiders coming out—which was why I didn’t sleep in super dark alleys when I was living out on the streets. I got over it when I was eleven, and that’s where my horrible childhood ended.” Annabeth exhaled, finally finishing her story.

I stared back at her in surprise. “That’s…one story.”

Annabeth smiled. “Yeah, I’m just glad it’s gone and done. Do me a favor and not tell anyone? Only Jason knows, but he’s never told anyone. At least, that’s what I know. I’ve only told you, and well, Jason has known for a while.”

I nodded. “I promise. I should really do the favor and tell you my story. But, I haven’t gotten over it as well as you have.”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. “Oh, believe me, I’m still scared of spiders. And, I still get angry whenever I think about them.” She clenched her fists for emphasis. “But, well, I’ve learned to control that anger.”

            “That’s why you don’t trust people very easily, isn’t it?” I surmised.

            Annabeth nodded. “Yeah. I trusted my step-mom, but she never believed anything I said to her.” She stood up and shoved her hands into the pockets of her black winter jacket. “Well, we should be going back now. Class is probably about to start soon if I’m right. See you later, I guess.” She started to walk back to the direction of the school’s buildings.

            And as I stared at her retreating form, I couldn’t help but feel the guilt weigh heavily on my shoulders at the thought of kissing her boyfriend behind her back.


	18. Part 1) Chapter Seventeen

It was after school. I had managed to ditch Percy for the whole day other than the morning. The other human interaction I had today was from the teachers and when I was talking to Annabeth during lunch when she had managed to find me.

But, how was I going to tell Annabeth that I kissed her boyfriend? After what she told me, I didn’t want her slipping back into a type of depression again. I finally got to see what kind of person Annabeth really was, but I didn’t want to ruin it. But, was keeping it from her better? No, it definitely wasn’t. The outcome would be worse if Annabeth found out on her own. But, how was I supposed to tell her?

I was sitting by the tree in the park I always went to after school to play my violin. The air was still chilly, so I thought myself as crazy for being out in this weather. No one as far as I could see was at the park because it was too cold. People with brains would be in their houses with the heater on.

I slipped my fingers out my jacket’s pockets, despite the cold. I reached for my black violin case and unzipped it, revealing the black violin that my mother got from my father. I couldn’t believe that this was the same violin that made me meet Percy for the first time. This violin probably had magical powers installed into it or something. If that was true, then what would happen if I played the violin again? I was just thinking crazy now, though. The cold weather probably froze the common sense in my brain.

I took the bow and the violin. I placed the chinrest of the violin onto the side of my chin. I hadn’t played my violin in awhile. It almost seemed like a foreign act to me while I held the bow in my dominant hand.

I stared at the four strings of the violin: G, D, A, and E. I placed my fingers onto the end of the fingerboard, and I placed the bowstring onto the A string—the third string from the left—and ran it down, creating a sound that wasn’t too high-pitched, but it wasn’t too low either. The sound that I just created almost seemed foreign to me too.

I didn’t know how, but my brain went on autopilot. I began to play my mother’s serenade—a song I always played whenever I was thinking about her death. But, I wasn’t thinking about her, so why did I even start playing it in the first place? I did love the melody of the song; I didn’t just play it because it reminded me of my mother. It was a sad and slow melody. It was a song that I memorized by heart, and it was a song that I made up from the top of my head when I was twelve.

My fingers danced on each string, pressing it against the fingerboard to create a new and different tune. The bowstrings went up and down chronically in a pattern that also helped in creating the perfect piece of music that I made for my mother. I had one for Bianca as well that was similar to my mother’s. Sometimes, I wondered what they would say to me if I played their serenades to them.

I heard the slightest noise and I stopped playing. I turned around and I found another unexpected sight. My eyes widened at the figure who was leaning against the tree that I sat by.

Annabeth was tightly hugging herself. She was leaning against the tree, but her whole body was tensed. She was shaking, but it wasn’t from the weather. Drips of water ran down her cheeks, and I knew it wasn’t raining either. She was biting her lip to stop all the tears that were flowing, but it wasn’t working. Now I knew for a fact that I couldn’t tell her that I kissed Percy today.

“You…you really do play well.” She managed a small smile.

I only gaped at her for a few moments, before finally reacting. “My music isn’t the problem right now.”

“I never said it was,” Annabeth pointed out with a shaky breath. “Your music is f-flawless.”

I stared at her with sad eyes. “Nothing ever is, unfortunately. But, that’s not the point. Why are you…?”

“Crying?” Annabeth suggested. She sniffled before replying, “I was just talking to Percy when he asked me where you were.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “And, what does my location have to do with your emotions?”

“I…well.” Annabeth fidgeted in her spot. “Percy…he told me something.”

I only blinked blankly at her. “What…did he say to you?”

“He told me he liked someone else,” Annabeth blurted out in one breath.

My eyes enlarged in half a millisecond. “Don’t tell me he—”

Annabeth shook her head. “Don’t say it. I don’t…I thought I should just tell you.”

My hands clenched my violin and my bow tighter. “That…fucking…idiot,” I said through gritted teeth.

“You sound like you know something about…Percy’s actions,” Annabeth surmised, wiping a few tears from her cheeks.

“Where’s Percy?” I demanded, turning a furious expression onto her.

“I—” Annabeth looked shocked about my sudden behavior, but she managed to recover moments later. “He…most likely went home. Why?” Annabeth hesitantly asked.

“Because he’s a  _fucking_  idiot, that’s why!” I yelled to absolutely no one. I took a few breathers to calm myself. “I told him not to, yet he still does it. Why doesn’t he just understand?” I shoved my violin and bowstring into my violin case, grabbed my backpack, and ran off.

“Wait, Nico!” Annabeth yelled. I halted and glanced behind my shoulder, still with a furious expression written across my face. It was directed at her though; it was directed at a certain idiot. “You…you told him not to?”

“Yeah, I told him you guys belonged together, but he refused to acknowledge my opinion about it.” I dashed off into the direction of Percy’s house without a glance back at Annabeth.

I kicked off my shoes when I entered Percy’s house, and I ran up the stairs. I threw my backpack into my room, and I set my violin case by the doorway. Even if I super furious, I didn’t want to take it out on my violin.

Right when I was about to open his door, he did it for me. He stared at me with a bewildered expression. “Nico, what are you—”

I didn’t let him finish. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you such an idiot?’ I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from blurting out nonsense.

“What are you talking about?” Percy blinked at me, obviously confused.

“You know what I’m talking about!” I waved my arms in the air for emphasis. I deeply exhaled again, letting myself calm down before I spoke in a dangerously quiet voice. “Why did you tell her?” I said through gritted teeth.

“Tell—” Percy froze. “How did you—”

“Because she came up to me today and told me,” I answered with a glare, biting back my anger.

Percy sighed. “Look, I know you’re probably upset—”

“No shit,” I grumbled.

“—but I did tell you I would deal with it. Didn’t I?” Percy stepped to the side, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me into the room. He shut the door and leaned against the now closed door. “You know, I’m not too happy about what I did either.”

“Then why exactly did you do it?” I spat at him.

“Because I couldn’t date her without knowing that I loved someone else, that’s why.” Percy glanced at the floor sadly, avoiding my gaze.

My heart almost stopped. “You…you weren’t kidding.”

Percy stared up at me, and it looked like  _he_  was the one trying to contain his anger now. “No, no I wasn’t kidding. You still thought I was lying to you?”

“I just didn’t think you were serious.”

“And, Nico, give me a reason as to why I would lie to you about my feelings,” Percy snapped at me.

“This isn’t about me.” I attempted to change the subject. “This is about Annabeth.”

“This is  _now_  about  _both_  of you,” Percy replied with a hint of venom.

My teeth were now tightly clenched against each other. “I told you to stay with her, yet you just go and break up with her the next day. Do I have to nail every single order I have to you into your brain?”

“I couldn’t date Annabeth without ever thinking about you!” Percy yelled at me. “Whenever I see her, I think of you. Do you know how that feels?! I was pretty much mentally cheating on her! If I didn’t break up with her soon, it would’ve become worse!”

I closed my eyes and deeply sighed. “You really were serious.”

“Of course I was serious!” Now Percy was just exploding with anger. “Why didn’t you believe us when we said that we want to be friends with you?! Why didn’t you believe me when I said that I love you! I have really fallen in love with you, Nico. I’m not just sexually attracted to you, you know. I actually love you for who your heart with my heart. Why can’t you just believe that?!”

“Because,” I snarled, “nothing good ever comes out of my life anymore.”

“Maybe someday it will, and today’s that day,” Percy shot back. “You can’t just assume that everything that happens in your life will turn out to be horrible. I can tell that you’re not a fortune teller! Or a psychic! So you can’t just say that everything in your life is bad from this day forward! It’s impossible! Everything—fucking—changes. And I know you know that!  So stop saying that nothing good will ever happen!”

I gulped, and I was at a complete loss for words. I’ve never seen Percy like this before, and it scared me. My eyes were wide as I stared at him, trying to come up with a response.

“If you’re not going to say anything, then I will.” Percy stomped up to me and grabbed my chin, yanking it up so I met his gaze. “I  _love_  Nico di Angelo. I love his smile. I love his sarcastic comments. I love his talent whenever he plays his violin. I love your rare laughs. I love how nice you were to me even if I friend-zoned you before. I love how kind you are to everyone even though you hate pretty much the whole world. I respect Nico di Angelo. I worry for Nico di Angelo. And, I wish I could  _be_  with Nico di Angelo. Have you ever thought that I, Percy Jackson, wanted to ever be with you? Was that a possibility in your mind?”

I hesitantly shook my head. “No, I didn’t think someone like you would like someone like me.”

My response made Percy even angrier. “And, what am I? What are you?”

“I don’t deserve a life. I’m a stupid bastard who doesn’t give a shit about this world. I push everyone away, and I lie to myself for my own selfish reasons. I let myself get beaten up because I know I deserve it.

“You, on the other hand, have a greater chance of succeeding in life than someone as low as me. You have friends, and you don’t have to worry about anything other than grades and shit. Sure you had an abusive step-father, but at least you had support. Me, on the other hand, had absolutely no one. I had to deal with bullies at school, my father, and my mother’s and my sister’s deaths all at once! For  _five fucking years_! Do you even know how I feel about that?!”

I was silenced with a passionate kiss onto my lips, and my heart started pounding in my chest. My eyes were wide as Percy’s other arm went around my waist and pushed us together. I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his neck, and I ended up deepening the kiss. Don’t ask me why I didn’t know why. It just felt… _right_. We felt together like a puzzle piece, and I liked how I felt now, with crazy pterodactyls flying in my stomach.  I felt like the horrible world that I was carrying was suddenly lifted off. And, it was all because of this one kiss.

I stopped the kiss, but Percy rested his forehead against mine as we panted for breath. We were still in the same position, and I had to stand on my toes to actually reach eye-level with him.

He smiled at me. “So, I guess that settles it, huh?”


	19. Part 1) Chapter Eighteen

            I blinked blankly at him. “Seriously? But…but what about Annabeth?”

            “I’ll talk to her about it,” Percy reassured.

            “No, you are not,” I objected. “Last time you said that you would ‘deal with it’, Annabeth is now in tears.”

            Percy sighed, probably mentally agreeing with me. “Look, I’ll try to reason with her. I know Annabeth, and she won’t take it horribly if I explain everything to her and how it happened. Sure she’ll be hurt, but it’s better if she understands.”

            “Wait,” I said, “when you said ‘explain everything’, does that mean you’re going to…?”

            Percy shook his head. “I’ll try to leave it out.”

            “Well, you can tell if you want,” I stated. “She told me about her life, and I needed to tell her mine anyway. And also, we should wait for her to recover a bit before we throw all of this at her. And, I need to get used to this as well.”

            Percy raised an eyebrow. “Get used to what?”

            I shrugged. “Even if I am in love with you,” my lips tilted downward at what I just said out loud, “I’m not…ready to be with you, I guess. I don’t know, this is a very awkward topic for me.” I sighed.

            Percy smiled, released one of his arms that were around my waist, and patted my head. “Don’t worry; I got the gist of it.”

            I swatted his hand away. “I’m not a dog,” I grumbled.

            Percy chuckled in amusement. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

            “But,” I started, “are you sure?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

            Percy arched an eyebrow. “Sure about what?” I gave him a few moments until the gears started to turn in his head. “About…about us? Why wouldn’t I?”

            I frowned at him. I sighed and pulled my forehead away from his. “I still think you’re making a huge mistake about being with me. I’m not very convinced.”

            Percy exasperatedly sighed. His grip around my waist tightened. “Just you wait, Nico.” There was a determined glint in his emerald green eyes. “I’ll show you how much I actually want to be with you.” He smiled at me. “I really do love you, and I’ll show you just how much I really do. I’d announce to the whole world my love for you.”

            “ _Uh_ ,” I awkwardly began, “don’t do that.”

            Percy gave a small laugh. “I won’t if you don’t want me to. But, I am serious about it.”

            I raised an eyebrow. “You’re serious about announcing your love for me to the whole world?”

             Percy chuckled. “I am serious about that, but that’s not what I meant. I meant that I’m serious about showing you how much I really love you. To tell you the truth, I want to stay in this position with you forever.”

            “Well, standing forever would be pretty uncomfortable.” The red spreading across my face was pretty evident.

            Percy smirked and whispered into my ear. His warm breath sent shivers down my spine. “Then, maybe you would want to stay in this position with me in bed? A little less clothes wouldn’t hurt either.”

            I gritted my teeth, not from anger, but from embarrassment from the deepening red across my face. “I hate you so much.”

            “I love you too, Nico.” Percy smirked by the side of my face.

            I was prepared to push Percy away from me and hide in my room forever, but Percy wouldn’t budge. In fact, he pulled our bodies together even closer than they were before. And I didn’t think that was possible.

            “Percy, let go,” I demanded weakly. To be honest, I really liked the position we were in too. But for one, I hated my growing erection, and two, I hated my deepening blush. I hid my face into the crook of Percy’s neck.

            Apparently, Percy noticed my growing erection. “You want me to take care of that for you? I’d be most obliged to help you.”

            I stepped on his foot. “I—fucking—hate—you.”

            Percy laughed. “Come on, Nico. I know you love me.”

            I rolled my eyes, even if he couldn’t see my face. And we stayed like that until I found out that Percy fell asleep on me.

            Today was now Tuesday. Percy and I were walking up to school. I finalized with him in the morning that I would give him a chance unless Annabeth agrees. I didn’t want to hurt Annabeth if I was with Percy. He was a bit shocked by my desire, but he agreed with it.

            He said that he’d talk to Annabeth about it today, but I was kind of afraid of what the outcome might be, and how Annabeth would react. Would she hate me for stealing her ex-boyfriend? I’m not sure if I wanted her to hate me or not. I mean, I used to push people away, but now I was afraid of Annabeth leaving me. Did I really change that much ever since I met Percy and the others?

            Once I stepped onto the school campus, I was bear-tackled by, of course, Silena.

            “Nico! I haven’t seen you in forever!”

            “You haven’t seen me for a day,” I pointed out. “Have you been waiting until I got here?”

            “Yes, yes I have. And, that’s still a long time.” Even if I couldn’t see her, I could tell that she was pouting.

            “Hey, Silena,” Percy began, rubbing the back of his neck, “Nico knows.”

            “He does?!” Silena pulled away from me with her eyes wide at Percy.

            I blinked blankly at the two of them. “I know what?”

            “That I like you,” Percy answered me.

            “Oh,” I flatly replied. I almost forgot Silena knew about Percy’s crush on me.

            Silena’s eyes twinkled. “You know?!” Silena faced me and shook my shoulders. “What did you say?!”

            I put my hands on Silena’s shoulders so that she would stop shaking me. “Please don’t do that to me ever again.” I felt a little dizzy but I told her. “I said I would go out with Percy unless Annabeth agrees.” That was pretty much the summary of what happened between Percy and me.

            Silena squealed and jumped up and down, her hands still gripped my shoulders. “Oh my god! Really? Really, really, really really, really?!”

            Percy rolled his eyes at Silena’s behavior. “Only if Annabeth agrees.”

            Silena stopped jumping. “I totally forgot about that.” She glanced at Percy. “What are you going to do about Annabeth?”

            I raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t hear?”

            “Hear what?” Silena stared curiously at me.”

            “Well,  _um_ ,” I started, “Percy broke up with Annabeth yesterday.”

            Silena’s eyes went wide. “You did what?!” Her gaze instantly landed on Percy.

            Percy looked away with regret in his eyes. “I know.”

            I sighed. “Percy, I already told you, you didn’t have to—”

            “I wanted to, Nico. Even if I had to hurt Annabeth,” Percy muttered.

            “You should’ve just stayed with her, you know.” I glanced at Percy, who had his fists shoved deep into his jeans pockets.

            Percy shook his head. “I don’t think I would’ve been able to stay with her without thinking of you the whole time.” He glanced up at Silena and me. “I have to go talk to Annabeth about it. See you guys later, I guess.” He walked away towards the direction Annabeth was most likely in.

            Silena stared at Percy’s retreating form with a sympathetic look. “I hope everything goes well between them. The last thing I want is for their friendship to break up as well. Before they started dating, they were really good friends.”

            I nodded, looking at Percy’s back. “I hope so too.”

            Silena glanced back at me. “So, do you really love Percy too?”

            I looked at her from the corner of my eyes. “I’ve liked him since I first saw him, which was before we met. I fell in actual love with him, well, I never knew when. I just kind of…did.”

            “Wow.” Silena smiled. “That’s good to hear. Percy was afraid of confessing to you.”

            I turned my head to her and raised an eyebrow. “And, why was that?”

            Silena smiled sympathetically, but she was staring at nothing in particular. The events were most likely playing through her head. “Well, it took so long to become friends with you, you know. And, when Percy found out he fell in love with you at one point, he was afraid of breaking the friendship he had with you if he confessed to you. He was planning on keeping it to himself. When he told me, I advised him to confess to you. It’s better than not telling you at all, right? He was also afraid of what his friends might think of him. He was thinking whether or not his friends would think he was a freak for suddenly liking a guy.” Silena shook her head. “Percy can be such an idiot sometimes.”

            “You mean all the time,” I corrected her. I couldn’t even believe Percy went through all of this when he fell in love with me. He seemed to act so… _him_. He didn’t seem like he had any problems when actually, he did. Was he trying to hide his problems so that no one would worry about him?

            She giggled. “I guess that is true. Well, do you want to go back to the others now?”

            I shrugged and shoved my fists into my jeans pockets. “You can if you want.”

            “Then…what would you do?” Silena asked.

            This reminded me of that time when I snuck away from the group on Friday at the mall and Percy found me. I shrugged at her once more. “I’ll probably go to that tree I always go to on the field.”

            Silena smiled. “Then, I’ll come with you!”

            I cocked up an eyebrow again. “I thought you were going back to the others.”

            Silena tilted her head to the side. “When did I ever say that? I only asked if you wanted to go back to them.”

            I sighed. “I guess you’re right. Let’s go then.”

            Silena grinned and linked her arm with mine while pulling me towards the direction of the field.

            When we got to the tree that I always hung around at to be alone, I found Annabeth sitting there. Her knees were brought up to her chest, and her arms were wrapped around her legs. Her head was buried into her knees, and I couldn’t tell if she was crying or not. Did Percy already talk to her about it?

            “Annabeth?” Silena asked, getting Annabeth’s attention. Silena glanced at me, and I could tell that she was wondering the same thing.

            She glanced up at us, and I could see dry tear tracks along her cheeks.

            “What’s wrong?” I hesitantly asked.

            Annabeth stretched out her legs, letting her hands fall into her lap. “Just…thinking about Percy and when he broke up with me.”

            “Did Percy talk to you today?” Silena ventured.

            Annabeth shook her head. “No, I was trying to avoid Percy today. I don’t think I could handle seeing him for a little bit. I figured he wouldn’t find me here, but you guys found me instead.”

            I shrugged. “Well, I’m always here, so what did you expect?”

            Annabeth gave a small smile, staring down at her lap. “I guess that is true. Was Percy looking for me?”

            Silena and I glanced at each other, unsure of what to reply to that question.

            “ _Um_ , yeah, he was,” Silena reluctantly answered.

            Annabeth nodded. “Are you going to take me to him then?”

            I shook my head, even if Annabeth wasn’t looking at me. “I’ll just wait and see if Percy could find you. If not, then I’ll tell him where you are.”

            Annabeth nodded again. “Okay. I just…need some time for myself. Is that all right? I was just trying to come up with a conclusion.”

            Silena nodded. “Sure, we’ll give you some space, we understand. But, if I may ask, what kind of conclusion are you trying to come up with?”

            Annabeth sighed. “Well, when Percy broke up with me, he told me he loved someone else. So, I was trying to figure out who that ‘someone else’ is.”

            My eyes became wide, and I could tell Silena’s eyes did the same.

“Did you ever find out who that ‘someone else’ is?” Silena hesitantly asked.

Annabeth shook her head. “No, not yet. I’m still thinking.”

I felt Silena’s shoulders un-tense. I didn’t even realize they were tensed. I also let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding.

Annabeth stared up at us and we instantly froze under her gaze. She raised an eyebrow. “Are you guys okay?”

Silena nervously chuckled. “Shouldn’t we be asking that question to you?”

Annabeth shrugged and stared at the space of the field in front of her, leaning her back against the tree. “I guess.”

“Hey, Annabeth,” I started, grabbing the gray-eyed girl’s attention, “do you want me to tell you about my past?”

Silena’s head whipped towards mine. “You were planning on telling her your past?!”

I nodded. “Yeah. She told me her past; it’s only fair if I did.”

Silena raised an eyebrow. “Annabeth, you had a bad past?”

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow at Annabeth. “You didn’t tell Silena about your past?”

Annabeth shook her head. “Jason only knows, remember?”

“Oh yeah,” I said, suddenly remembering when Annabeth said that she’s only told Jason and me.

“Jason knows?” Silena’s head cocked to the side.

Annabeth nodded. “Yeah. And, Nico, you don’t have to tell me.”

I shook my head. “It’s only fair. And anyway, you seem like you need something to help you. Maybe my past might help you.” I shrugged. “Who knows? This seems like the time to tell you anyway.”

Silena unlinked her arm from mine and took the seat next to Annabeth. I seated myself in front of the two girls.

            Before I was about to speak and start my story, Annabeth spoke up first. “Wait a second. Percy has been spending an awful lot of time with you, right?” She directed at Silena.

            Silena blinked a few times at Annabeth. “Well, yeah, why?”

            “And, about a week ago, you guys didn’t talk alone together a lot, didn’t you?” Annabeth asked Silena.

            I saw Silena gulp. “ _Um_ , well, no.” Her voice was very audible. She was either scared of getting interrogated by Annabeth, or she knew where this was leading to.

            “And about a week ago was when we met, you, wasn’t it?” She directed at me this time.

            I didn’t know if I even wanted to answer that. But, I had to sooner or later. “Yeah, it was.”

            “So, Percy suddenly starts talking to the ‘giver of love advice’ a few days after he meets Nico. Isn’t that suspicious?” Annabeth asked both of us.

            “ _Um_ ,” Silena drawled, “I…guess.”

            Annabeth sighed. “I think I finally found out the answer to my question.” She stared at me with an unreadable gaze. “So, tell me, Nico.”

            I didn’t want to know what answer she came up with to her question, but her question to me answered it all.

            Annabeth’s lips thinned into a straight line as she stared at me. “Has Percy ever confessed his love to you yet?”


	20. Part 1) Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> January 25th, guys. Mark your calendars.

            I gritted my teeth, and my heart clenched. What was I supposed to say? I didn’t even know what to do. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I didn’t want to make her sad. Was this how Percy and Silena felt when they tried to become friends with me, but I kept trying to push them away?

            But, why did I care whether Annabeth would continue to be my friend or not? Didn’t I push everyone away from me? Why did I even want friends? When…when did I change? Was it when I met Percy at the tree in the park? Was it when Silena declared that she wouldn’t stop trying to become friends with me? When did I start caring about having friends anyway?

            Silena glanced at me with an expression that could be read as desperate, curious, but hopeful. I couldn’t be sure what she wanted me to answer, but since it was Silena, I guessed that she wanted me to tell the truth to Annabeth. It was at least better than lying.

            I sighed and looked Annabeth in the eyes. “Yeah, he did.”

            Annabeth nodded, her expression still unreadable. “I see.” She crossed her ankles and sighed, looking up at the cold gray sky. “How weird,” She said, “that the sky is reflecting my current feelings.” One single tear rolled down her cheek.

            “I’m…sorry,” I apologized. Apologizing was something that I rarely did, and the words that left my mouth felt unreal.

            Annabeth glanced at me from the corner of her eyes. “What are you apologizing for?”

            “I…” I started, but I wasn’t really sure what to say. Why was I apologizing? “It’s…it’s my fault for making Percy like me, isn’t it?”

            Annabeth closed her eyes and lightly sighed. She reopened them and turned her body towards me, sitting Indian style. “You were just being yourself. You can’t control how you really act.”

            “Then, whose fault is it?” Silena decided to speak up.

            It took a while for Annabeth to respond, as she was deep in thought, thinking of an answer to Silena’s question. She inhaled. “No ones. It’s no one’s fault. You can’t control how you feel towards something or someone. Percy broke up with me because he likes someone else. I can’t control that. Nico can’t control it. And Percy can’t control it. The only way Percy could ‘control’ his feelings as if he wasn’t honest with them.”

            “Honest with whom?” Silena wondered out loud. “Honest with you and Nico?”

            Annabeth shook her head in response. “Honest with his own feelings. The only way to control his feelings is if he lied about how he felt to himself and everyone else that asked him. And, that’s not even considered as controlling them.” She grasped her ankles with her hands. “And, it couldn’t have been my fault either. I can’t control how I feel about Percy. It’s just how I feel. Like Percy, I can only control them unless I’m not honest with my feelings. It’s just how it is.

            “Nico couldn’t have been at fault either, whether he likes Percy back or not, because of his feelings not being able to be kept under control. And, I know Nico wasn’t trying to impress Percy in any way because he the way he acts around Percy is the same way he acts around me. So, he’s not trying to impress Percy. He was just being himself. And Percy just couldn’t control his feelings.”

            “You are the new Aristotle, Annabeth,” I commented in awe at everything she just explained.

            Annabeth gave a small laugh. “Thanks, I guess.” She sighed. “I feel a bit better now after all of that, knowing that it’s no one’s fault. But, I’m still a bit hurt.” She glanced up at me. “Do you like Percy back? As in the same way he does?”

            I gulped. The truth was always better than lying. I had to keep reminding myself that. “Yeah, I do.”

            Annabeth nodded, her gaze shifting towards the ground she sat upon. “I see.”

            “You know,” I began, “I wasn’t going to start dating Percy unless you wanted me to.”

            Annabeth looked up at me once more. “You’re asking for my approval?”

            I nodded. “I am.”

            “Isn’t it your love life?” Annabeth asked.

            I slightly nodded. “It is, I guess. But, if me dating Percy made you feel miserable, then I wasn’t going to do it.”

            “Have you heard of the saying Annabeth?” Silena swung an arm around Annabeth’s shoulders. “Chicks before dicks!” Silena laughed. “That is pretty much what Nico’s saying to you!”

            Annabeth actually managed to laugh as well. “I guess you’re right.” She said, still smiling from laughing. “But, I don’t want to stop you from dating who you wish to date. I don’t want to be that kind of friend anyway.” Annabeth’s smile widened at me. “Go ahead. Though, I probably won’t be able to face Percy anytime soon without punching him in the face.” Silena giggled at that. “So, can you guys do me a favor and not tell him that I’m hanging around here?”

            “Sure!” Silena immediately agreed. “No problem, Annabeth.” She got up and looked down at Annabeth. “Get better soon, okay?”

            “You make it sound like she’s sick.” I rolled my eyes, getting up from my spot on the ground in front of Annabeth. “And,  _uh_ —”

            “You’re welcome,” Annabeth replied before I even finished. “You don’t seem like the type of guy to thank people…or apologize.”

            I shoved my fists into my jeans pockets. “Yeah, pretty much. You know people well too well. I’ve only know you for about a week.”

            Annabeth shrugged. “It’s my specialty. Are you guys going to tell Percy that it’s…official?” She said it with reluctance.

            I sighed. “Listen, if you don’t want me to—”

            “No, it’s fine.” Annabeth sighed. “I just…need to get over it, that’s all. I can’t completely get over my feelings since I can’t control them, so I might as well try to make myself feel better and think optimistic.”

            “If you want optimistic, go to Silena,” I advised. Silena only giggled and linked her arm with mine.

            Silena smiled at Annabeth—not that she was smiling already. “Well, get better, Annabeth!”

            Annabeth nodded. “I’ll try. And, well, I guess, good luck with him, Nico.”

            I nodded. “ _Er_ , thanks,” I mumbled.

            And Silena dragged me by the arm to wherever Percy was.

            “Where is he?!” Silena whined as we walked around the school campus. It’s been approximately ten minutes, and we still couldn’t find Percy.

            I shrugged. “I already told you, why don’t we go to all the places Annabeth usually goes to, since Percy’s looking for Annabeth anyway?”

            Silena shook her head. “The only other places Percy would guess would be the library. And, it doesn’t take ten minutes to try and find Annabeth in the library!”

            I sighed. “Then, where would Percy go?”

            “ _Um_ ,” Silena started, trying to think back, “Percy would usually be where Annabeth was.”

            “Well, that’s just great,” I grumbled.

            “What are you guys doing?”

            We spun around and found Jason and Leo, who were leisurely walking towards us.

            “Hi, Jason! Hi, Leo!” Silena greeted once they closed the distance between us.

            “Hey,” Jason greeted back. “You know, class starts in about five minutes. You should probably start walking there now.”

            Silena sighed. “I know, but, we’re trying to find Percy.”

            “Percy?” Leo raised a curious eyebrow. “He was walking towards the field, muttering something about Kronos and Gaea world domination—”

            Jason shoved Leo in the shoulder, while Leo began to make his famous amused grin. “He was  _not_  muttering about world domination with crowns and G’s or whatever you just said.”

            “Crowns and G’s? You could probably make better jokes than me, Jason.” Leo smirked. “Although, no one could look as hot as me. Sorry about that.” That earned Leo another shove in the shoulder. Leo only laughed. “Come on, Jason. Are you jealous?”

            Jason rolled his eyes. “Anyway, forget what Leo just said. He was walking to the field while talking to himself, saying something about Annabeth and ‘breaking it off’, whatever that means.”

            Silena’s and my head whipped towards each other in shock.

            “He’s already going to the field?!” Silena shrieked.

            Jason frowned. “Yeah. Did something happen?”

            I already knew that Silena was a horrible liar, so I took her place instead. “No, nothing’s wrong. Silena’s just being overdramatic. We wanted to walk to class together since you said it starts in five minutes or so, but we couldn’t find Percy anywhere. And, the field’s pretty far from here anyway.”

            “Oh, then you guys should hurry,” Jason advised. “We’ll see you later then.”

            “Yeah, see you guys!” Leo smiled at us. “Leo out!”

            Jason rolled his eyes once again as Silena dragged me by the arm—since her arm was still linked with mine—and whispered in my ear, “Thank you!”

            “No problem,” I replied. “Now, let’s just go find Percy before those now-four minutes are over.”

            We ended up breaking into a full-blown sprint towards the direction of the field.

            When we got to the field, we scanned it as fast as humanly possible, until we found a figure wearing a blue hoodie, blue jeans, and black windswept hair.

“Percy!” Silena panted. She sprinted up to Percy at the speed of lightning and tackled him from behind and onto the ground. I rested my palms on my knees to keep myself up and panted for breath. We almost ran across the whole school campus. I felt as if I participated in the Olympics.

            “Woah!” Percy exclaimed. “Get off!”

            Silena got off and helped Percy up. “We’ve been looking for you for  _ages_!” She exclaimed, dusting herself off.

            Percy eyes soon landed on me. He looked me up and down and his eyes widened. I wasn’t sure why he was staring at me like that, but I soon found out by the slight discoloration of his face. I raised an eyebrow at him and he quickly looked in any other direction but me.

            “Sorry, I was just looking for Annabeth. What were you guys doing?” Percy glanced at Silena, intentionally avoiding me. “And, I thought  _I_  was the one in the football team, not you Silena.”

            Silena sighed and rolled her eyes at Percy’s last comment, with a small smile perched upon her lips. “We went to go talk to Annabeth,” Silena answered.

            “Annabeth? You guys already found her?” Percy asked. “I still need to talk to her about—“

            “Save your breath,” I interrupted, making Percy glance at me. His face became a deeper shade of red, which amused me a lot. I wiped at the sweat dripping down my face and realized just what he was imagining that involved me being really sweaty. I sighed, realizing that my own face was becoming a light red. “We already talked to Annabeth about it.”

            “R-really?” Percy stuttered, and I could pretty much see that he was mentally cursing himself for stuttering. “What did she say?”

            “She said it was fine,” Silena answered for me. “Though, she’s still a bit hurt. And, she doesn’t want to see you until she recovers a bit.”

            Percy nodded. “She handled it way better than what I expected.”

            “She probably would’ve reacted worse if  _you_  were the one that found her first,” I said. “But nonetheless, we stopped you before you found her. Thankfully.”

            Percy nodded. “I feel bad for just leaving Annabeth like that though.”

            Silena rested her hand on one of Percy’s shoulders. “She’ll be fine. Annabeth’s strong, we both know she is. Nico’s known her for a week, and I bet he already knows that.” I nodded to confirm Silena’s statement. “She wouldn’t argue over something that no one could control.”

            Percy raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? I was the one that broke up with her, so I started it all.”

            “There was a long conversation about that,” I informed. “But for now, that’s not very important.”

            “So…let me get this straight: Annabeth said it was okay?” Percy recapped.

            “Yeah.” I nodded. “Though, you should give her some space.”

            Percy nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”

            “January twenty-fifth!” Silena squealed. “I need to mark this on my calendar!”

            I arched an eyebrow at her. “What are you talking about?”

            “Yeah,” Percy agreed, “you sound crazy right now, Silena.”

            “Come on, guys!” SIlena said. “You guys can’t be  _that_  oblivious.”

            Percy and I blinked blankly at her.

            “I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Percy informed with a sigh and a shake of his head.

            “Oh,” I flatly said, finally realizing what Silena was referring to.

            Silena grinned at me. “This is a very important date, Nico! You better remember it!”

            “Wait,” Percy began, “I still don’t know what you guys are talking about.”

            I sighed. “Well, Annabeth said it was okay for us to date, right?”

            Percy blinked at me for a few moments, the statement processing in his brain. I could tell he finally got it when he smiled. “I guess it’s January twenty-fifth.”

            I nodded, a small smile actually making its appearance on my face. “January twenty-fifth, the day you and I finally started dating.” 


	21. Part 2) Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I label any of the chapter names wrong, please tell me! I'm trying to upload these as fast as possible, so I may mess up the titles of certain chapters. Thanks, guys!
> 
> This chapter, oh man, time to celebrate!! Part 2 is here!

            After school when Percy and I walked home together, it was kind of awkward for me. I mean, what would he do now that we were dating? I felt too nervous to make the first move, and I didn’t know what Percy would do. I know, it was pathetic how I felt nervous, but I couldn’t help it. I’ve never dated anyone in my life. It was the first time I’ve ever felt so close to someone that I could trust with all of my heart. Silena was also another person I could fully trust, but as you guys already know, I was gay, so I didn’t feel any attraction to her.

            When we were in the middle of walking home, my eyes found its way to the house on the opposite side of the street. My eyes unfocused as so many things came rushing back into my head. My lips involuntarily tilted downward at the thoughts. I wasn’t even  _born_  at that house, yet I had so many memories made there. So many that were horrible and wretched. I’d rather be looking at the house that I was actually born out, but that meant I would be thinking about the good memories I had with my deceased mother and sister.

            Someone grabbed me and squeezed my hand, and I already guessed who it was. I glanced at Percy, who gave me a reassuring smile. I didn’t even realize it, but I stopped walking just to stare at the house.

            Percy followed my gaze towards the house, then he glanced back at me. “Are you okay, Nico?” He squeezed my hand once more in his.

            I nodded. “Yeah, sorry for stopping.”

            Percy shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize.” Percy flashed me a smile. “Now, come on. Let’s go back to your better home.”

            “Yeah, my third home of my life,” I grumbled.

            Percy chuckled. “Yeah, let’s hope this is your second-to-last one.”

            I raised an eyebrow at him. “Why second-to-last?”

            “Because your last house will be when you and I move out together.” Percy winked before turning away and dragging me by my hand to the direction of his house. I could only gape at him, stumbling on my feet when Percy started to drag me before I regained my balance. I sighed, but I continued to follow Percy behind him, with my fingers intertwined with his.

When we opened the door, Paul’s voice from the couch almost made me jump out of my skin.

            “So, something happen at school?”

            I could feel Percy restraining to jump back as well, but he only stared at Paul and raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

            I glanced at Paul and saw that he was reading The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan. I wondered what that book was about.

            Paul chuckled under his breath. “You both are holding hands. Were you afraid that Nico was going to run away, Percy?”

            Percy blushed deeply, and I turned away to hide my blush that was threatening to spread across my face. I was expecting Percy to rip his hand away, but he didn’t. Why didn’t he?

            I could see in the corner of my eyes Percy rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “ _Uh_ , yeah,” He smiled, despite the deep red blush across his face, “yeah, we are dating actually. It just happened today.”

            Paul smirked, setting his hands back into his lap. “So, tell me, boys. Who asked who out?”

            I didn’t even think Percy’s face could get any more red, but it did. “You—you are just unbelievable, Paul!” Percy attempted to glare at Paul, but it certainly didn’t work.

            Paul chuckled and held his hands up in defense. One of his hands was still holding onto the book, and the inside of the book had a bunch of words, but the only one I could make out was part of the title at the top:  _and the Sword of Hades_. The other two words I couldn’t read, but I swear it said “Perry Jorhson”. I feel as if I were hallucinating now. Maybe I blushed so much that I couldn’t read right. “Perry Jorhson” just seemed like a ridiculous name. What was Rick Riordan thinking when he thought of the name anyway?

            “I was joking, just joking, Percy. Although, from your reaction, I’m guessing that you asked Nico out,” Paul surmised.

            Percy could only glare at the ground, as if he were to say:  _Why did you do this to me, Ground? I trusted you._

            I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and attempted to make my blush disappear (which barely worked). “Yeah, so we’re going out. Long story, but yeah, it happened before school started.”

            Paul nodded. “I see. What happened to—never mind.” I could tell he was going to ask about Annabeth, but I could also guess that he knew Percy well enough to know that he wouldn’t cheat on her. So, Paul probably made the guess that Percy broke up with Annabeth, and it would be unwise to ask Percy of such a thing as a break-up.

            Percy raised an eyebrow, totally oblivious to what Paul was about to ask. His blush finally disappeared—a little. “Well, we’ll be upstairs. Do you know where Mom is?”

            Paul nodded. “She went to the grocery store to buy a few things. Were you going to tell her about  _this_?” He made a giant circle around us with the hand holding his book to gesture what “this” meant.

            Percy nodded and smiled in slight embarrassment. “Well, yeah, I was. Do you think she’d be okay with it?”

            Paul sighed. “Do you not know your mother, Percy? She’d agree with anything as long as it was healthy, and as long as you were happy with it. In this case, you seem to be very happy with Nico.”

            Percy’s blush started to come back. “Yeah, well, thanks, Paul.”

            Paul nodded once again. “Of course, anytime. You boys go have fun.” Before we turned around to head up the stairs, Paul gave us a warning when he cocked up an eyebrow. “No too much fun, though. I don’t want to hear any loud moaning. You can moan about how much homework you have though, that I can understand.”

            I tried to keep a straight face (which failed), but Percy’s face was priceless. Percy rapidly dragged me towards the direction of his room up the stairs. I could hear Paul laughing to himself from the living room as we made our way up the stairs.

When we made our way up the stairs and into Percy’s room, Percy closed the door and pressed his back up against it. Our fingers were still intertwined tightly together, despite Paul’s last “warning”.

            He ran his free hand through his hair. “I can’t believe Paul just said that to me.”

            “I’m not sure whether to feel sympathy or to laugh,” I joked.

            Percy shot me a weak glare. “Wow, thanks, Nico.”

            I shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

            “That was sarcasm.”

            “I realized.”

            Percy just rolled his eyes, dragging me to the edge of his bed. I anticipated in sitting next to him on the edge of his bed, but I ended up in Percy’s lap instead. He wrapped his arms and around me and set his chin on my forehead. I decided to avoid all eye contact from his whatsoever.

            I could pretty much hear Percy smirking. “You’re trying not to blush, aren’t you?”

            “Shut up, Percy,” I huffed.

[[a look at another place in Percy’s house]]

            Sally unlocked the door and came inside, carrying three bags of items she needed to buy. Her eyes landed on the couch to find Paul reading a book called The Demigod Files.

            “Hello, Paul.” Sally flashed a smile at Paul as she went to the kitchen to deposit her bags.

            Paul—without glancing up from his book—replied, “Oh, welcome back, Sally. How was it out there?”

            “Fine, thank you.” Sally walked over to Paul, bent down, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

            “You know, I have some interesting news for you.” Paul glanced at the page number and closed the book. “Percy and Nico are dating now.”

            Sally’s eyes twinkled and she smiled. “Really? When did that happen?”

            “They told me that it happened before school started today,” Paul answered.

            Sally clapped her hands together. “Oh, that is so wonderful!” Her smile faded. “But, what happened to Annabeth?”

            Paul shrugged. “I didn’t really want to bring down the mood by asking them. I assume that Percy broke up with her.”

            Sally took the seat on the couch next to Paul. “I feel so sorry for Annabeth. The poor girl.”

            Paul nodded and wrapped an arm around Sally’s waist and pulled her closer. “I know, I know. But, that is how life is, isn’t it? Life changes all the time, and so do people.”

            Sally nodded. “It does, fortunately and unfortunately.”

            The door was soon knocked upon, drawing the attention of the couple sitting on the couch.

            Sally stood up, brushed her clothes off, and proceeded to the door. She opened the door and was greeted by two muscular men in black suits, black earpieces, and black shades.

            “We are here to see Nico di Angelo,” the African American one on the left said.

            Sally glanced at the two men. “What would you like him for, exactly?”

            “Ma’am, I’m sorry to say, but this is an urgent and private family matter,” The Caucasian man on the right stated.

            “Family matter?” Sally questioned.

            “Let us see Nico di Angelo.” The African American one commanded.

            “Well, how do you know he’s in here?” Paul inquired from the couch with a challenging gaze.

            “That is top secret, sir,” The Caucasian one said.

            Sally glanced worriedly at Paul. Paul sighed. “Go get Nico.”

            Sally—without looking back at the two men by the door—hurried up towards Nico’s bedroom. She rapidly made her way up the stairs, before turning into the used-to-be guest room. The door was open ajar, and she couldn’t see Nico in it. So, the only other place Nico would be in the house would be…

[[back to Percy’s room]]

“So, what do you want to do today?” Percy decided to ask.

            I shrugged, leaning into his embrace and glancing at him. “I don’t know. It’s Tuesday. What else is there to do? Homework?”

            Percy sighed. “Nico, Nico, Nico. You are such a goody-two-shoes.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Well, sorry for wanting a good grade in school. When do you do  _your_  homework, exactly?”

            Percy shrugged.  “Whenever.”

            I sighed. “Of course.”

            There was a pause before Percy exclaimed, “Wait a second, what does that even mean?! Are you  _trying_  to say something to me?”

            “Maybe,” I offhandedly said.

            “Maybe?!”

            Before I could respond, a sudden knock resounded off of the door.

            “Percy?” Sally’s voice called.

            “Mom?” Percy grinned at the door.

            “Is Nico in there?” Sally hesitantly asked. She sounded almost…scared.

            “ _Uh_ , yeah he is.” Apparently, Percy could sense Sally’s mood from her tone of voice as well. “Is something wrong?”

            It was silent for a few moments until Sally sharply inhaled. “Just…get Nico out here, please.”

            Percy glanced worriedly at me. I only raised an eyebrow at the door.

            I stood up and offered Percy my hand. He smiled reassuringly at me before taking the hand and bringing himself up with some of my strength. He walked toward the door and opened it with his other hand. His occupied hand was still together with mine.

            Once we made our way downstairs, I surveyed the scene. Paul, who was tensed, was uncomfortably sitting on the couch where he originally was when I walked in. But at the opened door there were two unfamiliar men. They both wore the identical clothing: black suits, black, polished shoes, black shades, and black earpieces.

            Both of their eyes landed on me. “Nico di Angelo, correct?”

            Percy’s hand around mine tightened. It took a few moments for me to respond like I didn’t even have a clue what my name was, but I soon nodded.

            The two men glanced at each other, then back at me.

“We wish to speak with you, privately,” The man on the right requested.

“It is an urgent matter,” The man on the left added.

“You’re  _not_  talking to Nico without me,” Percy growled. I glanced at him and so did everyone else that was present. He had an angry expression written across his face, and his teeth were tightly clenched together.

“Percy, calm down.” Sally rushed to Percy’s side and rested a hand on Percy’s shoulder.

“Whatever those guys want with Nico, I’m not letting him go out there alone.” Percy shot glares that could kill in the direction of the two men.

“They just want to  _talk_ , Percy. They won’t hurt him,” Sally reassured.

“I’m not very convinced.” Percy eyed them curiously.

I released my grip from Percy’s, and he stared at me in disbelief.

“Sally’s right, Percy.” Even if I was hesitant, I walked to the direction of the opened door. I glanced over my shoulder at Percy and rolled my eyes, trying to stay calm. “It’s just a talk. I’m not getting killed.”

Percy’s hand that used to hold mine tightened into a grip, but he didn’t protest.

I glanced up at the two men, and they stepped away so that I could walk through. I seemingly found interest in the ground as I made my way outside.

The Caucasian man closed the door and turned to me, though he didn’t say a word. He seemed to be waiting for the other one to say the first statement.

The African American one deeply inhaled. “Nico di Angelo,” He spoke ever so firmly, “your father is dead.”


	22. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, it makes me so happy that I'm getting so many Kudos on my stories even though it's only been a day! Man, this is so fulfilling! Thanks so much for your support, everyone, and happy reading!

            My eyes instantly widened. I opened and closed my mouth several times like a fish out of water, unsure of what to say. I had mixed feelings about my father now. Now that he was dead. What was I supposed to do now? Would anything even happen in my life in the first place? I feel as if I ask way too many questions that I can’t answer.

            “How?” I managed to say. I mentally congratulated myself for not sounding stupid.

            “I believe you can guess, Mr. di Angelo,” The Caucasian one said.

            I thought about that for a moment. Why did he think I could guess it? Maybe I had other people that were close to me dying the same way.

            Then, it dawned on me. “A…car crash?” I surmised.

            The African American one smiled, but it was filled with amusement. Why was he amused?

“Just like what he said. You are very smart,” The African American one said.

            “Just like what  _who_  said?”

            “Not important.”

            I raised an eyebrow, but I said nothing. So, my father died in a car crash? Just like my sister and my mother? I didn’t know what to think about that. But, would that mean I would die in a car crash? I was really not looking forward to my future.

            “Then, what do I do now?” I looked up at the two men that stood in front of me.

            The two men glanced at each for a brief moment, before turning back to me.

            “You are very strong indeed,” The Caucasian one commented.

            “Just like your father,” The African American one added.

            I raised an eyebrow. “You guys…knew my father?”

            The Caucasian one nodded. “We have been keeping records of him.”

            My eyes widened again. “You have? But why?”

            The African American one cleared his throat. “We are getting sidetracked from the topic. You are no longer allowed to stay at this residence any longer.”

            “Wait, what?! Why?!” I demanded.

            “Mr. di Angelo,” the Caucasian one began, “you must now understand that you are an orphan. As an orphan, you must be  _legally_  taken into a home or family under the government. You cannot just ‘move in’ with another family without us knowing.”

            “So let me get this straight, you guys are the  _government_?” My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my eye sockets.

            The Caucasian one only continued to stare me down. “Not important.”

            I scowled and narrowed my eyes at them. “So, what am I going to do now?” I doubted Percy’s family wanted to go through all of this complicated government stuff just so they could keep me.

            “Pack,” The African American one simply ordered. “We will take you to an orphanage.”

            “What if I refuse?” My gaze on them was unwavering.

            “Then you are going against the  _law_ , Mr. di Angelo,” The Caucasian one informed.

            I gritted my teeth. So this is what my life had come to…an orphanage. I really didn’t want to get separated from Percy and everyone else, but I didn’t want them to go through all of this shit. And, I really didn’t want to meet new people at the orphanage.

            I sighed in defeat and averted my gaze to the ground and the perfectly polished shoes of the two men. “Fine.”

            The two men nodded and took a step back, allowing me some space. I inhaled through my nose, breathed out through my mouth, and proceeded to open the door.

Once I closed the door and looked up from it, I found Paul still on the couch, and Sally’s hand resting on Percy’s right shoulder. Percy was sitting in a cushioned seat adjacent to the couch. His head tipped downward toward the ground, and his elbows rested on his knees. His fingers were intertwined, and it looked as if he was deep in thought. Tyson was apparently there now because he was leaning against Paul.

            I brought everyone’s attention to me once they heard me close the door. All their eyes shot up towards me as fast as lightning, and I could see that they were waiting for an explanation. I didn’t want to tell them that I had to move into an orphanage, but what lie could I even tell them? I guess I could sneak out later.

            I could also tell that Percy really wanted to jump up from his seat and rush towards me, but Sally’s hand on his shoulder restrained him from doing so.

            I gulped. Then, an idea sprang into my head.

            I put on a sorrowful expression. “They…told me that my father died.”

            All of their eyes’ widened at the news I just broke to them, but Tyson looked utterly perplexed. I guessed at age seven, you don’t know what “died” is.

            “Nico,” Sally breathlessly said, bringing a hand up to her chest, “I’m so sorry.”

            I shook my head. “It’s fine.”

            “Maybe you need some time alone,” Paul suggested, grasping Tyson’s hand. “Go upstairs into your room for a bit. We’ll call you down for dinner.”

            I nodded. “Thanks.” I stole a glance at Percy, but his face was unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he knew I was lying or not, but I decided to keep up with my act.

            I nodded at all of them before making my escape up the stairs and towards my not-my-room-anymore.

When I got up the stairs and into my room, I threw the door closed without looking back, which was the greatest mistake I made that day.

            The next thing I knew, I was pushed against the wall, but not hard enough for it to hurt. Arms were found on both sides of my head, trapping me in that position. I looked up with shocked eyes at my not-going-to-be-soon boyfriend Percy Jackson.

            “Percy?” I asked in bewilderment.

            “Why did you lie again, Nico?” Percy’s face only had one thing written across it in giant capital letters: anger.

            “What are you talking about?” I decided to play innocent, straining to keep my face the same so it wouldn’t reveal that Percy found out my plan.

            “Don’t ‘what are you talking about?’ to me. I know you were obviously lying,” Percy snapped. “What did they really say to you?”

            I gulped. Shit, Percy read me like it was right out of a book. I clenched my teeth together and stared to the side. “Why do you know me so well?” I muttered.

            Percy took my chin and his hand and forced my gaze onto him. “Because I care about you, that’s why. Anything else you want to ask before you tell me what they were really talking about?”

            I narrowed my eyes since I couldn’t really look away from him. “I wasn’t really lying.”

            “There’s probably more to what they said then,” Percy surmised. “Tell me what they said.  _All of it_.”

            I sighed in defeat for the second time of the day. “They told me my father died in a car crash. Then, they told me that I was an orphan, and I…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to say this part to Percy, or  _anyone_  for that matter.

            Percy’s shoulders slumped as he relaxed. I guess he wanted to show me that he meant no harm.

“And you what?” Percy pressed.

I gulped once again. I wanted to stare anywhere but Percy, but Percy’s hand was still grasping my chin. His hand moved its location until it began to caress my right cheek. I had the feeling Percy was either trying to comfort me or getting ready to slap me across the face for not telling him this earlier.

“They…they told me I couldn’t live here anymore. I have to move to an orphanage,” I finally told him. “So, I…have to pack and leave with them now. I’m…” I still wasn’t used to saying this, but I said it anyway, “sorry for not telling you earlier, Percy.”

Percy stared at me for the longest time in the most unnerving silence I had ever experienced. I felt uncomfortable and nervous. Was Percy going to be angry at me for not telling him? Would he storm downstairs and punch the two men outside? Or would he demand his parents that they go through all the government crap just so that they could keep me?

Finally, after what seemed like millennia of silence, he asked, “Why didn’t you just tell me this? Why did you decide to hide it?”

There was a pained look in his eyes that made my heart clench at the sight of it. I hated feeling like this. Warmth spread throughout my body and I knew I was going to break down soon. I bit my lip. I’d rather feel pain than sadness.

“I didn’t…”

“You didn’t want to live here anymore then?” Percy assumed.

My eyes widened. “What? No!” I denied with a frantic shake of my head. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. I want to stay here. I really do. I don’t even know where the orphanage is, or how far it is from all of you.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Percy asked again.

“Because I…didn’t want you going through all of this shit anymore.” I ran a nervous hand through my hair. “I mean, I know it’s going to be all complicated. And, if it’s just so that I could stay here, then I don’t really want you guys to go through all of that. I didn’t think it would be worth it. “

Another long and unnerving silence. I only waited patiently for an answer. I was too scared to even hear what Percy had to say to that.

Percy sighed. “Nico, I’d do anything for you. You know that, don’t you?”

“You don’t have to do this though, I’ll be fine,” I assured him, even though I was not prepared to going to an orphanage.

“Nico,” Percy repeated, “I’m  _not_  getting separated from you. We haven’t even been dating for a full day. I am  _not_  giving you off to an orphanage now.”

I frowned. “You don’t have to, you know.”

“I will, Nico, just watch me.” And with that last sentence hanging in the air, Percy made his way down the stairs.

I only stared at the doorway he just walked through, and I could hear his footsteps thumping against the wood of the floor as he jogged downstairs. I didn’t know what Percy was going to do, but I didn’t really want to know.

I glanced back at my room, wondering if I should even bother packing at all.

 _No,_  I thought,  _Percy always has a way of getting things. I think he’ll be able to get me to stay. I hope._

I glanced back at the doorway, curious as to what Percy’s plan would’ve been. I left out the part about the two men being from the government and whatnot, but I had a feeling Percy already knew. How he knew that was something I couldn’t answer.

I closed my door and went to lay down on my bed. I shut my eyes, trying to clear my thoughts.

My whole family was dead: my sister, my mother, my father. It was like a di Angelo fate or something. Would I suffer the same fate as the rest of my family? What even happened after you died? Was there another world to live upon, but instead, as a soul instead of a living being? What even happened to the dead?

I was an orphan now. No one in my family lives anymore. I didn’t even have a family, and I wasn’t sure if Percy’s family even considered me as part of theirs. Was Percy really that determined to keep me here?

I frowned. I made it sound like Percy was keeping me hostage. That was  _definitely_  not the case.

My thoughts then led back to the two men. How did they even know my father? And who told them about me? Those two men were probably the biggest mystery of my life. This was probably how Percy felt when he first met me. Did he even think about me when he first met me? I doubted it.

After all these questions swimming through my head, my body decided to go through a deep slumber.


	23. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Two

            My eyes fluttered open, and I was in a different position in my bed. The room was dark now, so I guessed that it was night time. I was too tired to get up and check the time, but I wasn’t tired enough to go back to sleep. I sighed quietly to myself, and that was when I realized that it wasn’t just me in my bed. There was an arm wrapped around me.

            Out of instinct, I shot up in my bed in alarm and glanced down at whoever was next to me in my bed. Of course, why didn’t I think about it earlier? It was obviously Percy Jackson who was sleeping in my bed with me. Maybe I was just too tired to think? Well, whatever. At least I was up now.

            I sighed again, but this time it was out of relief. At least there wasn’t some serial killer in my bed waiting for me to wake up so that they could hear my scream before they murdered me. That would’ve been pretty bad.

            I glanced at the clock and it read 2:07. Guess Paul never had the chance to call me down for dinner. Maybe he did, but I just didn’t reply back. Percy probably told him that I fell asleep. Speaking of which, what happened when I fell asleep? Why did those two men let me stay here?  Did Sally and Paul already go through all of that government crap to keep me here?

            I leaned my back against the wall by my bed. I totally forgot to mention to you guys, but I got my room back. The black paint on the wall was now dry, and it almost reminded me of my own room… _almost_.

            All the posters were now hung up on my wall in the places that I desired. Sally even found black, velvet curtains for the single window that I had in my room. All the furniture was pushed back to where it originally was before Percy and I painted the room. My new room seemed to have a nice aura to it. I didn’t know how to explain it or where it came from, but I liked it.

            Today was Wednesday the twenty-sixth. So many things happened yesterday on the twenty-fifth: the two men, Percy and I getting together, Annabeth officially acknowledging me getting together with Percy, and the news the two men gave to me. There were also three more days until it was my birthday, but I didn’t really care.  To be honest, I was looking forward to what Silena and Percy got me. I mean, it was something out of a jewelry store. I was  _definitely_  curious as to what they got me.

            I glanced at Percy’s peaceful, sleeping form on the side of my bed, and his stomach slowly rising up and down. My black blanket was on half of Percy, and his hair was very bedraggled. I couldn’t really tell because it was dark, but I could clearly see that he was wearing a blue-green V-neck. It was such a typical thing for Percy to wear.

            Since I was thinking of Percy’s clothes, I finally realized that I was still in the clothes that I wore to school the day previous. I was wearing a blank, black shirt, dark gray skinny jeans, and white socks. I sighed once more. I was too lazy to get out of bed, but if I was planning to fall back asleep, it better be in something more comfortable.

            I snuck out of my bed, careful to not wake Percy up. I opened up a drawer and I had no absolute idea as to what I was looking at. Well, that was just great. I sighed in exasperation. I guess I had to rely on my sense of touch instead.

            I shoved my hand into the drawer and moved it around until I actually found something that I was able to sleep in for the night. There were another five drawers that I could look through, but I didn’t feel like taking the time to check them all. After all, I didn’t want to wake Percy up.

            Did I really want to go to the bathroom and change? Percy could’ve woken up anytime and teased me for being undressed. But, I didn’t want to take the risk of walking down the hall and opening and closing the door. I could’ve woken up the whole house. It was possible. Back at my father’s house, I was as quiet as air. I wonder what changed since then.

            Well, many things changed since then. First of all, I actually had friends now, and a boyfriend that I wouldn’t have thought possible. Second of all, I didn’t even live at my father’s house anymore. And also, my father was now dead. I couldn’t even go back to that house. What would happen to all of the furniture and stuff in that house?

            I sighed and decided to slip out of my clothes and put on clothes that were more wearable for sleep.

How did I even feel about my father being deceased? I had mixed feeling about my father now. I mean, yes he abused me almost every day of my life since I was ten years-old. But before that, he was the best dad ever. He actually cared for me. I mean, sure he lectured me a lot and scolded me for my mistakes, but that was what a regular dad did. He threatened to hit me, but he never did. Then all of a sudden, he actually  _did_  hit me.

 I pulled my shirt over my head and pulled it down to my hips. I ran a hand through my hair and checked to see if I had woken Percy. Nope, I did not. I crawled onto my bed and leaned my back against the wall once more, as I was getting sucked back into my thoughts.

I was certain that I would be going to his funeral. When and where it would be held was unknown to me. But, I wanted to go to his funeral, even if he was a horrible father to me in his last days. Percy would probably refuse the idea of me going, but I was still going to go anyway. Maybe he had a specific reason for hitting me. Or…maybe I just reminded him so much of my mother and Bianca that he  _wanted_  me to go away. Maybe that was it!

Now that I thought about it, he never aimed for my vital organs. He never wanted to intentionally kill me; he just wanted me to go away. He was probably tired of losing so many things, that he just wanted to lose it all so he wouldn’t have to deal with them anymore. And, one of them was me. I mean, sure he cracked a rib or two, but he probably knew I would go to the hospital. He probably knew about the pain relievers in my bathroom as well. Did that mean he really did care about me?

A single tear rolled down my cheek. My father did actually love me, but he was just tired of losing so many things that he just wanted me to go away. I reminded him so much of his wife and his daughter. I wonder what he must have felt like, seeing me every single day, and instead of actually seeing me, he saw Bianca or my mother. I probably would’ve exploded at my son too if I was in my father’s position.

Something wiped the tear from my cheek and I jumped. I glared at the only other person in the room who had his hand caressing my left cheek.

“Don’t scare me like that,” I grumbled, but I didn’t swat his hand away.

Percy only chuckled at me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” He yawned.

My glare died. “Why are you up?”

“Why are you up?” Percy asked back at me.

“I asked first.”

Percy sighed in quick defeat. “I felt a shift in the bed and I realized that you were crawling back onto the bed. It actually took me awhile to respond because I was so tired. I mean, it’s two in the morning for gods’ sake, Nico! Why are you awake at this time?”

I shrugged. “I just woke up.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, Nico.”

“It was the truth!” I protested.

Percy wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to his side. “Whatever, Nico. Then, explain to me why you’re crying.”

I leaned into Percy’s embrace. “I was just…thinking.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “About what exactly?”

“Why do you care?” I asked.

Percy frowned down at me. “Because I’m your boyfriend, that’s why.”

I sighed. “Fine, I was thinking about my father.”

“You mean child abuser.”

I rolled my eyes at Percy’s snide comment. “No, he is not. I was just thinking about it. I mean, I think he did love me, but I just reminded him of his wife so much.”

Percy’s grip on me tightened. “That doesn’t mean that he was allowed to abuse you.”

“I know,” I mumbled. “I guess that’s also true.”

“So, does that mean you’re going to his funeral?” Percy ventured.

I nodded in his chest and slung my arms around his neck. “Yeah, I mean, he’s still my father.”

Percy pulled me onto his lap by my hips until our foreheads came into contact. Even if it was dark in my room, his beautiful, emerald eyes still seemed to shine. He was silent, so I decided to ask something instead.

“Are you going to stop me?” I grabbed my other hand behind Percy’s neck.

He still didn’t answer, but I could tell he heard me when he finally met my eyes. There was another pause before Percy answered, “No. It’s your choice anyway. And I agree, even if he did wretched, unforgivable things to you, he is still your dad.”

I nodded. “Yeah, he is. You know, you’ve never told me about your real dad.”

Percy sighed. “I guess I should, huh?”

My lips tilted downward. “Not if you don’t want to. I mean, I’m fine with being left in the dark. You don’t have to tell me anything. People deserve privacy.”

Percy shook his head. “No. You’ve told me everything. It’s only fair if I should too.”

I decided to quickly change the subject before Percy started a tale he didn’t want to talk about. “But, what happened when I fell asleep.”

Percy raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic. I knew Percy wasn’t stupid, even if he acted  _very_  stupid. He probably knew what I was trying to do, but he didn’t say a word about it. “Well…it’s a pretty long story. I came downstairs I was ranting about how stupid you were for not telling us. Then, I told them about it, and my mom and Paul agreed to go try and keep you. So, they went to court with those two guys.

“I came back upstairs and went back to your room after you left. Turns out you fell asleep when I was gone. Was I really gone that long?” I rolled my eyes at that, though he obviously couldn’t see from the lack of lighting.

“Well, whatever,” Percy continued. “So, I closed your door and decided to do my homework, since you sleeping left me very bored. Surprisingly, I finished homework, and you were still sleeping!” Percy sighed exasperatedly. “I just left you be and waited until you woke up. I ended up talking with Jason via the computer.

“My mom and Paul came back from court at around eight, and luckily, we were able to keep you. Paul was going to call you down and ask if you if you ate anything for dinner. So, I told him that you suddenly fell asleep. They were so exhausted, so they went to sleep early too. Tyson has to go to sleep at seven thirty, so I kind of forced him to go to sleep since Mom wasn’t home.

“When it was around ten, I decided to go to sleep for school. But, I decided to sleep in your bed with you. We’re dating now anyway, aren’t we?” Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could obviously tell that he was smirking.

I rolled his eyes and hit his chest. “Very funny, Percy. You make me laugh.” But, I was extremely glad that I was able to stay with Percy’s family instead of going off to an orphanage with unknown people.

“But, Nico, you never laugh,” Percy pointed out.

“Exactly,” I replied with a slight glare.

Percy chuckled. He rested his hand on my neck and pulled me closer until our lips were a few inches apart.

“I love you so much, Nico,” Percy whispered. His warm breath on my lips sent shivers down my spine.

I gave Percy a small smile. “I love you too, Percy.”    

Percy pressed forward and touched his lips to mine. It was a sweet and innocent kiss, where no one deepened it, but no one pulled away. At one point, my eyes closed, but I didn’t know when. The crazy pterodactyls were flapping away in my stomach like their all-mighty predator was coming after them.

Then, everything changed. Percy deepened the kiss, and I was so overwhelmed by the sudden change that my lips parted only slightly. But, that was where Percy took his chance.

His tongue darted into mine at the moment, and I let out a breathless moan. My grip around Percy’s neck tightened as he explored the inside of my mouth.  My tongue decided to fight back; apparently, it didn’t like its territory being invaded by another. Our tongues battled for dominance. Saliva dripped everywhere, but both of us were too possessed by lust to even care.

Percy glided me back onto my bed so that my back pressed up to the mattress. He set himself between my legs, yet our tongues did not lose contact. I grabbed a fistful of Percy’s hair when his tongue decided to swivel past mine and back into my mouth. His hands rubbed against my sides, whereas my other hand was tightly gripped onto Percy’s neck.

I let out another moan as Percy moved his position from my mouth to my neck. He sucked on the sin by my collarbone for a little while; sucking and licking it in one spot. I moaned breathlessly. I didn’t want to wake up the others, but Percy wasn’t giving me much of a choice.

His right hand slipped under my shirt and another moan escaped my lips. He rubbed his palm against my stomach, and I was so distracted by that, so I cried out when Percy bit onto the skin by my collarbone. He bit and sucked at the spot, and I was sure he was going to leave a very noticeable hickey.

His right hand slipped more upward into my shirt until it found its way onto my chest. He grasped on my right nipple and teased it with his fingers; squeezing and rubbing it in any sensual way possible. I bit my lip so no more moans would come out, but it didn’t work that way. My eyes were tightly shut now, and I grabbed onto Percy’s hair like it depended on my life.

Percy pulled away from my collarbone and reattached his lips onto mine, prying my lips open with his tongue. Before he could do anything about it, my tongue made its way into his mouth, exploring the vast area my tongue seemed to find. He moaned against my mouth, and I barely felt the vibration from my tongue.

He squeezed my nipple once more and I yelped, which Percy took as the opportunity to delve deeper into my mouth instead. I moaned again and again from the skill that Percy’s tongue and hand seemed to possess.

Our tongues battle for dominance once again, but I went down in defeat faster than before. Percy smirked before pulling away, breathing heavily. I too was panting from lack of air. My grip on Percy’s hair loosened, but Percy still continued to rub my nipple sensually. We locked eyes for the longest time, and I see that Percy’s eyes were full of lust. I could feel my face heat up, but I hoped Percy wouldn’t notice.

Percy smiled and took his hand out of my black shirt. He caressed my cheek before pressing our lips back together. It wasn’t a kiss that we just had before; it was a kiss full of love, not from lust. I kissed him back, and we stayed like that for another minute or so, before I pulled back for air.

Percy smiled at me again, before collapsing on the bed by my side and wrapping his arm around my waist. He pulled me closer until I was tightly pressed against him.

“Good night, Nico,” Percy whispered into my ear.

I smiled for the second time of the night. “Night, Percy.”


	24. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the weird indents in my paragraphs are finally over! I just... have to go back and fix the previous chapters then.

It would only be three more days until my birthday. I used to never make such a big deal out of that one day; I would treat it like a normal day. But so many things happened, so I guess making a big deal out of my birthday wasn't anything new.

The weather was still a bit cold. Let me correct that:  _really_  cold. But, at least it seldom snowed here. If it snowed, then I would be freezing to death. I was always sensitive to the cold around me, which was why I always wore a jacket. Some people found me crazy for wearing a jacket all the time, but now you know.

When I arrived at school, Silena skipped over to us and swung her arms around my neck.

"Hey, guys!" Silena greeted cheerfully, glancing at Percy and me.

"Hey, SIlena. What's up?" Percy flashed her a bright smile.

" _Hm_ , nothing really. I was just hanging out with the others. Do you want to come with me?" Silena cocked her head to the side. "How about you Nico? Do you want to come with me?"

I frowned and shook my head. "No, thanks. I'm fine." I glanced at Percy. "You could go if you want."

"Then what would you do?" Percy inquired.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Go to the tree I always go to, I guess."

Percy frowned. I guessed he didn't like the idea.

Percy turned to Silena and shook his head. "I'll be staying with my boyfriend if that's okay with you." He glanced my way and winked at me, making me turn away and hide my blush that threatened to show itself.

Silena giggled at how Percy referred to me as. "Alright-y then! I'll stay with you guys if that's okay? Would I ruin the moment?" She added a teasing tone to her voice in the last sentence.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Silena."

"We did have a pretty Rated M moment last night." Percy smirked.

"Did you  _really_  have to mention that, Percy?"

"Yes, in fact, I did have to," Percy triumphantly said. "Why? Are you embarrassed?" His smirk grew.

I gritted my teeth. "Shut up, Percy." Percy could only laugh.

Silena gasped and her eyes widened. "Oh my God! Seriously?! Like,  _just_  last night?!"

I nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Oh my God that's  _amazing_!" She placed her hands upon my shoulders and began to jump up and down in place. "This—is—just—amazing!" She said with each jump. She stopped and squealed. "You guys are just so  _cute_  together!"

I stared at her with an odd expression on my face. "Maybe you're overreacting about that," I said slowly.

Silena pouted. "I am not! It's true!"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, whatever, Silena."

Silena could only cross her arms over her chest and sigh as a response.

"When does school even start?" I decided to ask. It was rare for me to bring up a topic to talk about, but I just wanted to get off of the topic we were on.

Silena shrugged and pulled out her phone. "Well, school starts at seven fifty-five, so we have about sixteen minutes until school starts."

I sighed. "It's only seven thirty-nine?"

Silena nodded. "Wow, Percy. You have a really smart boyfriend. I can  _never_  do mental math." She suddenly giggled. "Why do you always get into relationships with such smart people, yet you are the total opposite?"

I suppressed a smile before Percy exclaimed, "I am  _not_  stupid! I can be smart if I want to."

"Sure, Percy. We'll agree with you on that," I sarcastically commented.

"Well, you should."

"I don't think it's a wise idea."

Percy pouted. "You are so mean, Nico."

I shrugged. "I'm always like this."

Percy smirked. "You weren't like this at two in the morning."

"I'm going to push you off the school roof."

Percy's smirk was still intact. He stepped up to me and softly whispered into my ear, "I'm going to keep pushing until you can no longer walk."

I gritted my teeth to suppress the threatening blush to spread across my face (which did not work). Percy stepped back to examine my expression and then laughed.

Silena knit her eyebrows and looked between Percy and me. "What just happened?"

"Nothing," I immediately replied, making Percy laugh even harder.

Silena placed her hands upon her hips and tilted her head to the side. "Well, whatever happened, I certainly don't want to know. Though, I am just a bit curious!" She smiled innocently. "But anyway, we should get going to class. School might start in a bit."

"It better," I added, side-glaring at Percy.

Percy held his hands up in defense. "Your fault for threatening to push me off the roof.

It was my turn to finally smirk. "And I  _still_  just might."

And that was the last threat that hung in the air when the bell for school rang.

By the time it was lunch, I didn't feel like sitting with the others (not that I do it often anyway). I was listening to a song on my phone called "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by The Offspring. Barely anyone was around where I sat, which was the tree on the field. It was peaceful and quiet—with the exception of my music.

A silhouette of a girl began to walk up to me. The more she got closer, the more I started to recognize her. But, the first thing that stood out to me was her tight, blonde ponytail swaying back and forth in the wind. It was obvious to me now, who the person was.

She stopped in front of me, and I glanced up at her. I took out one of my earphones out of my left ear since I guessed that she would start to talk to me.

"Why aren't you with the others?" She asked.

"Why aren't you there?" I asked back at her. "Percy?"

She nodded. "May I sit down?"

I nodded at her and patted the seat to my right. She sat down with her legs brought up to her chest, and I offered her my other earphone. She stared at it and glanced at me. Annabeth soon smiled and took the offered earphone.

I sighed. "I never answered your question, huh? Well, I just didn't want to be around them today. I like being alone, even if I have to be alone with my thoughts."

Annabeth glanced at me and wrapped an arm around me. "Sometimes, it's best to be alone, to clear out your thoughts. You may not like to think so much, but it's better."

I nodded in agreement. "I guess that's true. Did you tell the others that you'd be coming for me?"

Annabeth chuckled. "Yeah. Percy thought you were getting beaten up again by Castellan." She shrugged. "I already knew where you would be, so I volunteered to go get you."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you would know where I would be."

"You know," Annabeth began after a moment of silence, "I'm starting to like you."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "And, why is that?" I didn't want to bring up the fact that she liked me even though I was dating her ex-boyfriend.

Annabeth shrugged. "I don't know. You just seem like a…likeable guy?"

" _Uh_ ," Was the only response I could manage at the time. "Thanks?"

Annabeth chuckled. "No problem. At first, you seemed like a really scary guy."

"I try," I replied. "At the time, I didn't want any friends."

Now it was Annabeth's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Why not?"

My lips turned into a thin line. "I don't know. After everything that happened to me, it's hard for me to trust people. You know, I'm started to trust you," I added.

Annabeth slightly nodded in acknowledgment. "I see. Someone betrayed you before, huh?"

I inhaled. "I forgot to tell you about what happened to me before, right?"

Annabeth shook her head. "You don't have to tell me. Everyone deserves privacy. I mean, just because I told you what happened to me, doesn't mean you have to tell me to 'return the favor.'"

I shrugged. "I told everyone that I trust what happened to me. Which are only Silena and Percy."

"Is that what Percy and Silena were talking privately about on Sunday?" Annabeth surmised.

I nodded. "Yeah. Silena seemed really devastated when she heard about it." My shoulders slumped. "I don't think it's such a big deal anymore. The past is the past; it's gone now."

Annabeth stretched out her legs on the ground. She glanced up at the gray sky. "The past isn't just gone, you know. The past defines who you are now. You can also learn many lessons from the past. I learned a lot from mine. And remember, it's hard for you to trust people now. That's because someone…most likely betrayed you in the past. Your past defined who you are now. And, I'm guessing that's why you seem like such a scary guy at first."

Annabeth is just too smart for her own good, in my opinion.

I sighed. "You sure know a lot."

Annabeth slightly blushed. " _Er_ , thanks. Once I get started, I tend to go on forever. Sorry about that."

I shook my head. "You don't have to apologize for that. I learn a lot from you."

Annabeth smiled. "I guess. What were you like before…you know… _that_  happened?"

I shrugged, trying to go way back to when I was only ten years-old. "Well, I was really…weird, I guess. I was always happy, and I laughed at almost anything. I was really annoying and I asked a lot of questions if I met someone new. I was also obsessed with this card game called Mythomagic. But, I have no idea what happened to those cards. I have the strangest feeling I burned them."

Annabeth stared dumbfounded at me. "Back then, you were the complete opposite of yourself now. And, I've heard of that card game before. It was based on the Greek gods and goddesses, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it was. The weird thing is, I still remember how to play."

Annabeth chuckled. "Maybe you should teach me how to play so we can play a game."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah right." There was a pause before I said, "Hey, I'm going to start my story now. You okay with that?"

Annabeth frowned at me for a while, until she finally nodded. "If you want to. I won't stop you."

I took a deep breath and began my story.

After school, I sat upon one of the school's benches. I was waiting for Percy to come so that we could walk home together. If he didn't come in the next three minutes, I would leave without him unless he told me beforehand that he would be late. Today, he didn't tell me anything. Well, technically it wasn't his fault since I avoided him all lunch period.

Then, Percy finally came up to me.

"Where were you and Annabeth at lunch?" Was the first thing Percy asked.

I shrugged. "Where else would I be?"

Percy sighed. "I guess that would've been obvious if I thought it through more. I told Annabeth to bring you back, but she never came back."

"Yeah, she stayed with me and we talked for the rest of lunch," I explained. "I also told her what happened to me when I was ten."

Percy smiled. "Does that mean you fully trust her now?"

I nodded. "She's pretty nice, even though she seemed pretty intimidating when I first met her."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? You were exactly like that when I first met you. You were also really mysterious."

"Yeah, I remember. Whenever you asked me a question about myself, I always replied with 'not important'."

"Oh yeah, I remember that too," Percy said, recalling the memory. "And for the record, that was  _really_  annoying!"

I softly smiled. "Yeah, well, at the time, I didn't really care if I annoyed you, even if I did like you anyway."

Percy pouted. "You are very evil, Nico di Angelo."

"I try, I try," My smiled faded. "Are we going home now?"

"Oh!" Percy exclaimed. "Before that, I want to ask you something."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you even want to ask me?"

Percy genuinely smiled. "Well, this Saturday, do you want to go do something with me?"

I could see the faint hue of red on his face, and I didn't doubt it was there on mine.

My eyes slightly widened at the fact that Percy was asking me on a date. " _Uh_ , sure, if you want," I awkwardly answered. "But, where are we going anyway."

"We're going to a pretty fancy restaurant. Don't worry, though. It's all on me."

My jaw almost dropped to the ground. "Seriously?! Are you sure you want to pay for all of that? You know, I could help pay for it if you want."

Percy shook his head. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I can't fully buy it? It's like you're helping me buy your birthday present or something."

"Well, Silena helped you buy my birthday present," I pointed out.

"Actually, SIlena just helped me pick it out. I was the one that bought it."

My eyes continued to be wide. "Percy, do you know how expensive stuff is from a jewelry store? After this restaurant, you're going to be completely broke," I slowly said.

Percy shook his head. "Depending on what we're getting at the restaurant, I'd say I'd have about sixty or fifty dollars left."

"How much money do you even have?" I said in awe.

Percy winked. "That's a secret. Maybe you'll find out. I get an allowance from Paul every month, so who knows how much I'll have by the time you find out?"

I sighed. "Percy, you know you don't need to spend so much on me."

Percy smiled. "Well, what if I want to?"

I didn't have a clue as to how to respond to that.

Percy chuckled and grasped my hand in his. "Now come on, we wasted enough time here already just by asking you this." He pulled me up from my seat on the school bench. "Come on, let's go home."

"And do some homework," I put in.

Percy made a disgusted expression. "Who wants to do homework right when they get home? You're crazy, Nico."

"Let me just remind you that you just called your boyfriend crazy," I said.

Percy laughed. "Whatever. You know I still love you." He pecked a kiss on my left cheek.

"Let's just go home," I said, the blush on my face very evident."

"Do you even know how cute you are and the fact that you're not even trying?" Percy whined. "This is very unfair."

"How's it unfair?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Because you don't even know how much I want to claim you right now."

I blinked a few times, finally realizing what he meant.

Percy realized that I finally understood what he meant when my blush became a deeper shade of red.

He smirked at my reaction. "Let's just go home now, shall we?"

He gripped my hand tighter as he led the way home.


	25. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just kidding: Weird indentation is not over. False alarm; sorry, guys. I know it mellows out SOMEWHERE.

            It was the day after Percy asked me out on our first date. To be honest, I was a little nervous about it, especially since it was our  _first_  date. Of course, I would never tell anyone I was nervous or anything. I wouldn’t even tell Silena about being nervous over the whole ordeal. She’d make a huge deal about it. Well, that’s what I guessed she would do.

            I was already at school. Percy held onto my hand the whole entire way to our school  _and_  when we arrived at school. I was pretty sure it was Percy’s way of showing me that I could never secretly escape from him. That was what I normally did when we got to school, anyway. Sometimes, Percy could be the slightest overprotective.

            I was sitting on the edge of a planter during lunch where Percy’s friends were usually located at the school. And as of right now, I was bored out of my mind. I mean, sure Percy and the others glanced at me and occasionally talked to me, but I never bothered to join into one of their conversation that took place while I was here. It was pretty much the same thing as sitting alone by the tree in the school field. The only difference was the fact that I wasn’t alone this time.

            And as always, something different decided to happen.

            “Hey, Nico!” Someone called to me, interrupting my thoughts.

            I turned with a raised eyebrow toward wherever the voice came from, but I couldn’t recall whose voice it was.

            Will smirked, so I could obviously guess the exclamation came from him. Everyone glanced at him, whose smirk did not falter.

            “Tell me a bit about yourself,” Will said.

            My expression didn’t waver a bit.

 “Why?” I asked a little too harshly.

            Will chuckled, ignoring my harsh tone. “Well, obviously because your birthday’s coming up this Saturday, right? I still don’t know what to get you. You’re so…mysterious, you know that? Whenever I look at you, I can never tell what you’re even thinking.”

            I knit my eyebrows. “Really?”

            Every one of Percy’s friends that were there nodded.

            “You strike me as one of those super Emo guys that don’t care about anything in the world.” Beckendorf shrugged.

            “That’s very accurate to what  _I_  was thinking!” Miranda exclaimed.

            “To be honest, me too.” Katie giggled.

            I sighed. “Why does everyone think that?”

            Will spread out his hands in front of me. “Well, just look at you!”

            I shrugged. “What about me?”

            “I’m guessing he’s pointing out the part where you dress up very Punk-like,” Michael explained.

            I rolled my eyes. “Well, what do you  _want_  me to wear?”

            Will shrugged. “Don’t know. I can’t imagine you wearing anything else but black.”

            “Weren’t you wondering what to get for my birthday? How did we even end up on a topic about what I wear?” I wondered aloud.

            Will’s eyes brightened. “Oh yeah! I kind of forgot what we were talking about. What do you want for your birthday, Nico?”

            “Nico says he doesn’t want anything for his birthday,” Percy added.

            “But didn’t Silena say you got one for him anyway?” Michael asked for confirmation.

            Percy chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, not sure if he’ll like it though.”

            “You guys talk like I’m not even here,” I huffed.

            Percy innocently smiled and grasped my hand. “Sorry, Nico.” He kissed my cheek, and I had to resist the blush that threatened to come out. Percy could only smile as if he didn’t know what I was going through.

            “Aw, how sweet,” Katie cooed.

            I rolled my eyes and glanced away from the group. “Don’t even.”

            “But, why not?” Miranda whined. “You guys are so adorable!”

            “I told you guys!” Silena brightly smiled. “I totally ship it!”

            “Ship?” Will glanced at Silena with his eyebrows furrowed. “As in…a ship that you sail in?”

            “Of course not! Why would I talk about boats anyway?” SIlena looked totally offended.

            “If you’re not talking about boats, then what are you talking about anyway? What other ‘ships’ are there?” Will, on the other hand, looked thoroughly confused.

            Silena sighed and shook her head. “How do I explain this?”

            “Is this ‘ship’ about me and Nico?” Percy asked.

            “Yep,” Silena said proudly. “And, Will, a ‘ship’ is a relationship that you agree with.”

            “But you used it as a verb,” Michael added.

            “Well, in that case, I meant that I agree with the relationship. Get it?” Silena finished her explanation.

            “ _Oh-h-h_ ,” Will said. “Why do these words exist anyway?”

            “It’s like saying why  _you_  exist.” Reyna, who was leaning against a nearby tree, crossed her arms.

            “Well, first of all, I exist because my mom and dad decided to—”

            “Don’t even go there,” Reyna interrupted.

            “But you asked,” Will pointed out.

            “I didn’t want a full-blown explanation.” Reyna rolled her eyes. “And anyway, if you guys think Nico dresses so Punk-like, then why don’t you get something Punk-like for him?”

            “Now  _that_  is a very good idea,” Beckendorf said.

            Reyna nodded. “Thanks.”

            “But, what do you want anyway, Nico?” Will glanced at me, waiting patiently for an answer.

            I shrugged. “Percy already told you. I don’t want anything.”

            “Oh c’mon, Nico. That’s no fun.” Will pouted. “Silena, what did you get him?”

            “He’s right there, you know!” Silena exclaimed.

            “Okay, okay, just tell me later when Nico’s  _not_  here,” Will said.

            I rolled my eyes at them. “Wow, thanks, guys.”

            Will winked at me. “No problem, Nico.”

            I could only sigh at Will’s response.

            Katie exhaled. “I  _still_  don’t know what to get Nico.”

            “I already told you guys,” I repeated for the hundredth time of the day. “You guys don’t have to get me anything. I’m fine the way I am.”

            “Well, that’s bullshit,” Percy snapped. “When was the last time you celebrated your birthday?”

            I got a little surprised by Percy’s outburst, but it makes sense for him to be angry at me about it.

            “Well…” I trailed off. I soon replied, “Five years, I think.”

“Exactly,” Percy said.

“ _Five years?!_ ” Everyone other than Percy and Silena exclaimed.

“What did you even do on your birthday then?!” Miranda cried.

I shrugged. “Nothing really,” I replied, slightly frowning. “It was just a normal, regular day for me.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Sometimes, I forgot my own birthday. It took me awhile when Silena asked when my birthday was a few days ago.”

“Seriously? How old were you, like ten?!” Will incredulously asked.

I nodded in reply. “Yeah. I was ten years-old when I stopped celebrating my birthday.”

“Well, why?” Jason asked, who seemed like the only one there that was calm.

I shrugged and made a lie that was pretty obvious to both Silena and Percy. “I don’t know. I just...didn’t have any friends to celebrate it with.”

“What about your family?” Michael asked, seeming to have recovered from the initial shock from knowing I haven’t celebrated my birthday since I was ten years-old.

“My parents were too busy working. My—” I stopped in the middle of my second sentence. I was about to mention my sister, but I couldn’t think of a good enough lie for her. Plus, she was the only one that took care of me, since my mother was too busy working. And, I couldn’t bring myself to make up a lie for her. It stung a bit on the inside.

“My?” Frank trailed off, raising an eyebrow, waiting for me to finish my statement.

I shook my head. “Never mind. Forget I started that sentence. I don’t really know where I was going with that sentence anyway.”

Silena dramatically sighed, so she obviously knew where I was going with that unfinished sentence. I didn’t know what Percy thought about me lying to his friends, but I didn’t get a very noticeable reaction. And he was sitting right next to me, so I doubt I could’ve missed the reaction. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention enough? Or maybe I’m just over-thinking this. He probably reacted to the lie in his mind, and I guessed Percy would talk to me about it later on during the day. I was  _not_  looking forward to this talk.

Jason raised an eyebrow, probably from suspicion, but he didn’t bother to question me about it. Reyna seemed as if she was thinking about what I could’ve said. Frank and Michael didn’t seem to have believed me, but they both let it slide. And Will, Miranda, and Katie didn’t think much of the unfinished sentence, but I could tell they were a bit suspicious as well.

“Well then, alright,” Will slowly said, the suspicion slowly wearing off. My lying skills were becoming a bit dull if you ask me. Percy probably did something to me. I was a pretty good liar before I actually became friends with anyone—the time when I pushed anyone that came close to me away. That time seemed like so long ago when it was only about two weeks ago. A lot happened to me, and I blamed it all on Percy and Silena.  But, did I like the way I was now? And was I  _really_  thinking about such a stupid question in the middle of a conversation?

“You know what?” Miranda sighed. “I still have  _no_  idea what Nico wants.”

“Just get him something that you’ll think he’ll like,” Hazel suggested with a shrug. “I mean, if you ask Nico what he wants and he answers and you go ‘Okay!’ then Nico will  _obviously_  know what you’re going to get him for his birthday. So, no point in a surprise, right?”

Miranda sighed. “I guess that’s true.”

“Yeah, yeah, we all know Nico’s a mystery. Just do what Hazel said,” Reyna stated.

“Guys,” I alerted everyone around me, “I already told you. I don’t want a present. It’s fine. Just pretend it’s a normal day or something. I don’t really care.”

“But it’s been  _five_  years since you’ve celebrated your birthday,” Piper retorted.

“Yeah!” Leo agreed. “You should throw a huge birthday party or something.”

“With  _no_  flames,” Piper added.

“C’mon, Pipes. That’s no fun. The flames look cool,” Leo said. “And, they give a little… _dramatic_  effect, you know what I mean?” Leo grinned.

Piper rolled her eyes. “The  _last_  time you added flames—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Leo half-ignored the statement. “But that was  _one_  time!”

I rolled my eyes and heavily sighed. “I  _just_  told you. Just go on with your life like it’s a regular day or something. You guys don’t have to put so much effort into—“

“ _Five_  years, Nico.  _Five_  years,” Will emphasized. “We need to make up for those five years that have gone by.”

“Alright, let’s do it!” Leo exclaimed. “We’re going to have huge parties for your birthday for the next five years, Nico!”

“ _Uh_ ,” I stammered. I didn’t have a clue as to how to respond to that. I really doubted they would be my friends for the next five years.

“Wait,” Piper said. “Does Nico even like  _huge_  parties?”

“Well, he’s right there. Just ask him.” Michael shrugged.

“No, I don’t like huge parties,” I decided to answer for them since they were going to ask me anyway. “I tried avoiding you for some time. Did you really think I like parties?”

Katie shrugged. “Maybe you had this ‘inner self’ that is completely different than what you show us and you actually  _like_  parties on the inside.”

“Okay that sounded really confusing,” Jason replied.

I blinked momentarily at Katie’s explanation. “No, I don’t have this ‘inner self’ that is completely different than what you’re seeing. And for the record, I still don’t like parties.”

“Then, let’s just make this really grand party with only us!” Leo cheerily suggested.

“Leo,” Piper began, “that was probably the smartest idea you have ever had.”

“Why, thank you.” Leo stood up from his seat on the ground and began to bow towards us. He threw his hands up into the air and exclaimed, “Thank you, Manhattan!”

“Shouldn’t you say ‘America’ instead of ‘Manhattan’?” Frank pointed out.

“Whatever. America, Manhattan, same thing.” Leo sat down on the ground where he was before.

And no one bothered to comment on Leo bowing toward us and screaming “Thank you, Manhattan”. Now that was something I found freaky about this group. Well actually, I think they were already used to Leo’s crazy ideas and everything.

I sighed. “You guys are hopeless. I say a million times that you don’t have to do anything special, and then you decide to plan this grand party right in front of my face.”

Percy wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer to his side. “It’s been five years, hasn’t it?” He smiled in my direction.

I rolled my eyes and looked the other way. “Does it matter?” I grumbled. “I’m already used to not having a birthday.”

“Well then, you’re just going to have to get used to attending grand birthday parties!” Leo grinned once more.

I glanced back at the group and sighed. “I hope you’re just kidding about this,” I mumbled under my breath. I wasn’t sure if anyone even heard my side comment, but I didn’t seem to care.

“Hey, guys!” Silena grabbed all her friends’ attention. “Why don’t we go on this huge shopping spree for Nico’s birthday?”

While everyone was planning the trip to stores and malls for my birthday, I said to myself, “Holy shit,” I breathed. “They really are going all out.”

Percy chuckled and glanced at me. “Well, Nico. You actually have people that care about you, you know?” He smiled. “They are your friends.”

“ _My_  friends?” I arched an eyebrow, glancing to the other person I was talking with. “I didn’t think for a second that they considered me as their friend.”

Percy furrowed his eyebrows. “Well, why not? They’re planning this grand birthday party for you, and they asked a bazillion times what you wanted for your birthday. I’m pretty sure they consider you their friend.”

“And I consider them stubborn,” I muttered.

Percy softly laughed and pecked my right temple. “You say that now, but I know you like having friends on the inside. You were alone for so long, and I know you’re enjoying every second of this when you’re with us. Just admit you enjoy it, okay?”

And I would  _never_  admit it out loud to anyone, but Percy was right. I hated being alone.


	26. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Five

            I never knew what people meant when people called their friends “crazy.” I mean, why would you call your own friends psychopathic? Isn’t that a bit…offensive to your friend?

            I finally realized why.

* * *

 

After they discussed about a birthday party for me that I refused to go to, Percy and I walked home after bidding our goodbyes to everyone. Percy would never stop smiling when we were on the way home  _and_  when we were at home, and I would stare at him with an eyebrow raised whenever we made eye contact. Percy would only chuckle in response to my curious gaze; then he continued to suspiciously smile in no particular direction. It kind of made me feel on guard about everything, as if the Percy I was walking home with wasn’t the real Percy. But hey, when is Percy  _not_  happy?

The day was soon ending, and it was around dinner time in the evening. I assumed that I was eating at home (calling Percy’s house  _my_  home has become a habit of mine now) with Percy’s family, but I guess Percy had other plans. Plans that he decided to not tell me about until the time arrived.

I was walking downstairs at around seven for Sally’s dinner—which always seemed to amaze me every single time I ate. When I arrived at the dinner table in the home’s dining room, I raised an eyebrow. There were only three plates set up on the dining table. Was someone not eating?

“Why are their only three plates?” I decided to ask to no one in particular as I stared questioningly at the three plates. “Is someone not eating tonight or something?”

Sally’s head peeked out of the kitchen. “Percy didn’t tell you?”

“Didn’t tell me what?” I glanced behind at Sally over my shoulder.

Sally softly laughed. “I guess he’s trying to keep it a surprise. Then, I guess I won’t say anything.”

I had so many questions floating through my mind that I thought I would explode.

“Percy has been nonstop smiling this whole day, and it kind of freaked me out. I’m guessing you know the cause of it?” I questioned her.

Sally nodded, a smile still evident on her face. “I do.”

There was a long silence between the two of us before it clicked in my head.

My eyes widened, and Sally most likely knew that I found out the cause to Percy’s nonstop smiling.

“It’s not the birthday party, is it?” I fully turned around towards Percy’s mother, shoving my fists deep into my front pockets. “I thought they were just joking. I didn’t think they’d actually made one. I mean, I didn’t think they’d have the time. And anyway, why isn’t my birthday party on my actual birth date? Why a day before?”

A pair of muscular arms hugged me from behind by the waist and pulled me towards him. I didn’t even have to think for a millisecond about whose arms those belonged to.

“You don’t remember about our date on your birthday?” Percy’s voice whispered into my ear. I shuddered at his warm breath.

“Oh yeah,” I said blankly. Wow, I was forgetting a lot of things this week. Usually, I don’t pay any attention to my birthday, which was probably why I kept forgetting. I usually treated it as it if was a normal day, but not this year. Not anymore for the next coming years I assume.

Percy chuckled. “Your birthday isn’t just a normal day anymore,” he said as if he was reading my mind.

I sighed. “I guess not.”

Sally’s smile brightened at the sight of the two of us so close to each other. I was surprised I wasn’t blushing.

“Well, I don’t think I’ll be getting a chance to see you very much on your birthday since Percy will be hogging you all day.” Sally laughed.

“Hey!” Percy became a bright red when I turned to look at him, and I nearly smiled at the sight. Percy could be so adorable.

Sally’s laughter died away, but her smile did not. “So, happy early birthday, Nico.”

I haven’t heard those words directed to me for five years. It was kind of weird hearing those words again, but, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I directed my smile at Percy’s mother. “Uh, thanks.”

“There’s no need for that,” Sally politely said. She glanced at Percy, who was still hugging me from behind. “You guys have somewhere to go, don’t you?”

“Oh yeah! Yeah, we better go. I’ll see you later, Mom!” Percy bid his farewells before grabbing my right wrist, pulling it out of my pocket, and dragging me upstairs. I didn’t even have time to say “good-bye” to Percy’s mother.

“Where are we going?” I asked as Percy dragged me upstairs to who-knows-where.

“To get you something nice to wear,” Percy said.

“That’s not very necessary, you know,” I replied.

“Well, why not?” Percy stopped in the hallway where the bedrooms were located. “It’s your first birthday you will ever celebrate in five years. Why not make it special?”

I slightly frowned and sighed. “If you want. But, I feel like you’re putting too much effort into this.”

“I’ll put in as much effort as I want. Anything for my boyfriend, right?” Percy winked and turned around, pulling me toward my room. At least he didn’t see the color red spread across my face.

He dropped my wrist once we entered my room, and he began digging through my drawers.

“Percy,” I started, “maybe you should go find something that you want to wear. I look for something, I promise.”

Percy stopped and glanced behind his back. “You sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He smiled and took his hands out of my drawer. “Whatever you say. You better be in something nice when I see you again in a few minutes or so.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

He chuckled and pecked a kiss on my cheek before leaving me in my room. He closed the door behind me, and I glanced back at my drawers.

 _Do I even have anything nice to wear?_  I thought to myself.  _Percy is doing way too much for me to handle._

It was a few minutes later before Percy drove us to a house that I didn’t know the owner of. He never told me, but he said that I would find out once I stepped out of the car. Would I really know that fast?

Percy actually accepted the clothes that I wore, and the only thing I actually wore was a black buttoned-up collared shirt with a red tie, black jeans,  _Vans_  that matched my shirt and tie, a chain that hung from my jeans, and a really expensive black watch that I got my mother a long time ago. I just never bothered to wear it.

He parked in the driveway of the house, stopped his car, and slammed the door shut when he got out. I did the same, except I didn’t have to stop the car.

When I slammed the passenger door shut, someone nearly football tackled me to the ground. It took me awhile to realize that someone was trying to hug me.

“Silena, is that you?” I asked in surprise, attempting to keep my balance.

“Happy early birthday, Nico!” She squealed, squeezing me in her arms that literally took my breath away.

“Th-thanks,” I tried to say with almost no air inside my lungs.

She let me go, but instead, she swung her arm around my shoulder. “You look really nice today.”

“Thanks, it’s all Percy’s fault,” I said matter-of-factly.

Silena giggled and turned to Percy, who was standing in front of us. “You did a good job making your boyfriend look super sexy.”

“What do you mean?” Percy raised an eyebrow. He soon smirked. “He’s always super sexy.”

“You guys are such assholes,” I mumbled, turning away to hide my evident blush.

“You’re the asshole, Nico. Giving me blue balls for the rest of eternity,” Percy said.

“ _What_?!” I exclaimed. “You have  _not_  mentioned that to me.” My face was probably as red as a tomato, but good thing the Sun had set when Percy and I were on the way here.

Percy and I glanced to Silena when she laughed. “You guys are the most adorable-est couple I have ever witnessed!”

“Most adorable-est?” I repeated as a question. “Do you even realize that ‘adorable-est’ is not a word?”

“It’s probably the only word that can describe how cute you guys are together!” Silena exclaimed excitedly.

I exasperatedly sighed. “You guys are so fucking crazy.”

“I know we are! Now come on! I have to give you a tour of my house since you’ve never been here before!” Silena grabbed my wrist and dragged me inside, with a laughing Percy following us from behind.

Once the clock hit eight, it was when everyone else started to flood into Silena’s home. They were all people that I knew, thankfully, so I wouldn’t have to meet new people. Meeting new people was such a hassle for me.

“Hey, dude! Happy early motherfucking birthday!” Will dropped his arm around my shoulders when I wasn’t paying attention.

I blankly blinked in no particular direction before regaining my composure. “Thanks, I guess?”

“Ah, no problem! Just make this day the best of the year, right?” Will grinned at me.

“Yeah, sure.” I smiled in Will’s direction.

“Happy birthday!” Miranda and Katie simultaneously exclaimed.

“I love parties!” Leo said excitedly next to Katie and Miranda. “Why are we having a party?”

Frank hit him upside the head. “For Nico’s birthday, obviously. Happy early birthday, Nico.”

I chuckled. “Thanks.”

“Oh for real? Happy birthday, Neeks!” Leo grinned at me.

“Thanks, Leo,” I thanked, despite the horrible nickname he gave me.

“No problem, buddy! Now let’s party!” Leo yelled in the air before running off to who-knows-where to do who-knows-what. You can never tell when it’s Leo.

“Happy birthday, Nico,” Malcolm said with a smile.

“Thanks,” I replied. “Is your sister coming?”

Malcolm thought for a moment. “I’m pretty sure she is. I don’t know, I haven’t seen her around the house lately, but, I’m pretty sure she’d be here for your birthday.”

“Alright, thanks, Malcolm.”

“No problem.”

“Happy birthday, best man.” A large hand patted my shoulder.

“Thanks,” I thanked, even though I had no clue who it was. I turned around and I happened to find Beckendorf. “And, why did you just call me ‘best man’?”

“Because Silena wants to make you our best man at our future wedding.” Beckendorf chuckled.

“Interesting,” I trailed off.

“I’m pretty sure it’ll happen if it’s  _Silena_. She’s pretty persistent, you know?” Beckendorf laughed.

I smiled. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Who’s persistent?” Silena intertwined her fingers with Beckendorf’s.

“ _Uh_ , no one, Silena!” Beckendorf awkwardly smiled toward his girlfriend. I had the urge to just laugh right then and there.

Silena stared curiously at Beckendorf, but she soon shrugged it off. “Okay, whatever you say!”

Silena didn’t seem to notice, but I definitely heard Beckendorf’s sigh of relief afterward.

Someone tapped me twice on the shoulder at one point during the party, and I turned around with my eyes widening.

“Annabeth!” I said happily. “You actually came.”

Annabeth smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Silena invited me to come earlier today. It was for your birthday, so, why not?”

“Thanks a lot, Annabeth,” I thanked her.

She shook her head. “No, thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I owe you a lot.”

“That’s not true. I owe you a lot too,” I replied.

She smiled once again. “Well, I wish you an early happy birthday. Life will just keep getting better from here, you know.”

I smiled. “It’s the same for you too.”

Annabeth softly chuckled. “Thank you, Nico.”

The birthday wishes just kept going on and on, and I was getting pretty tired of saying “Thanks” for a million times. I didn’t know there were so many people that I knew.

I decided to take a breath of fresh air out on Silena’s balcony on her second floor. The air was nice and cool, especially since it was the middle of Winter. The wind felt nice as it ran through my hair. The stars were really bright out tonight, and there was barely anyone driving around in the neighborhood. It was nice and quiet, just the area I would like to be in. I was never fond of parties or being around so many people, so maybe I should’ve been out on the balcony this whole time.

“Hey,” Percy’s voice greeted me from behind.

“Hey, Percy,” I replied, turning around to face him.

“Are you having fun?” Percy asked me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me toward his body.

“Yeah, and it’s all thanks to you guys.” I genuinely smiled at him.

Percy returned the smile. “I’m glad for that. You deserve a lot after everything you’ve been through the last five years.”

“I didn’t go through that much to deserve all of this.”

“Yeah you did,” Percy firmly objected. “I don’t think many people can endure what you have for five years. I don’t think I could have.”

“You’re just exaggerating,” I said, waving it off.

Percy pushed my body towards him even more. “I am not. You just don’t see how much you’ve been through.”

He took hold of my chin and passionately kissed me. I returned it back after a moment, swinging my arms around his shoulders. He pushed me to the balcony’s edge. He licked my lower lip, asking for entrance, and I obliged.

He explored my warm and moist mouth while rubbing my sides with his hands. I didn’t even bother fighting him back; I just let it happen.

We soon separated for air. We were both breathing heavily, and I could see that Percy’s lips were a bit bruised from kissing me so hard. I bet I looked worse than him.

“You know,” I began, getting Percy’s attention. “I can definitely feel the blue balls that I’ve been unconsciously giving you now.”

Even though it was dark outside, Percy’s red face was very noticeable. “You—shut up!”

I laughed the biggest laugh I have ever experienced in the last five years. Percy soon joined in to after a few seconds, and it was the best birthday I have ever had—not in the last five years, but in my whole life.


	27. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Six

            Today was the day after my birthday party. To be honest, I was fucking exhausted. But, I also had a lot of fun yesterday, so maybe the amount of fun that I had the day previous made up for my exhaustion.

            Now, it was actually the day of my birthday. I woke up quite early on that day for some reason. No one was awake in the house, and it was eerily quiet. Laying around in my bed was a bore to me, so I decided to get up and take a walk. After my morning routine, I guess.

* * *

 

            I grabbed my earphones and shut the door behind me as quietly as I could, which was pretty quiet considering the fact that I snuck out of the house for school when I used to live with my father. “Sneaking out of the house for school” was probably one of the weirdest phrases I have ever thought of. But, hey, it was true.

            I turned on the music from my phone, and I ended up on a song with the name of  _Boulevard of Broken Dreams_ by Green Day. I sighed as I stared at the title, the music starting to play. This son reminded so much of me during those last five years. I was pretty sure there was a song for pretty much  _everything_.

I had a lot of walks during the five years that I lived alone with my father. I glanced up at the dark, abandoned house. No one lived in it anymore. My father was ironically killed in a car crash. Why did my whole family have that fate? It was unfair. Did I have that fate, only later in my life? Where was my life going to end up in the future? I wonder. I just hope my life was going down a fortunate road.

            I had a strong urge to go back into the house, and so I did. I proceeded back into Percy’s house, grabbed my old house key that I left on my bedside table, and walked across the street to my old house. It felt so nostalgic walking back here. Well, at least I didn’t have to sneak into the damn house anymore.

            I inserted the key into the keyhole, and the door unlocked. I pushed open the door, the door creaking as it slowly opened to reveal the inside of the house. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me with a click. I scanned the interior of my old home. Nothing looked different. There was even that old blood stain on the wall from the time when my father threw me against it and I hit the table on the way toward the wall and my arm started bleeding. Oh wait, there were multiple times when my father did that.

            I began my trek up the stairs, the stairs also creaking under my feet from each step I took. It was eerily quiet in this house too, except it was much creepier since this house was pretty much lifeless. It kind of felt like I was was in those television shows where the hosts of the show explored a haunted house for ghosts. Except for this time, I was alone, and I did  _not_  have a ghost radar with me.

            My foot touched the upstairs hallway. All of the doors were shut. I decided to visit the first room that came into my mind: my own bedroom.

            I slowly walked toward the door of my room, as if I knew something would be waiting for me in my bedroom. But, I already knew nothing would be in there. That would be nonsense.

            I twisted the gold doorknob, and I thrust the door open. Everything was exactly the same from the time when Percy and I snuck into here to gather some of my belongings for my move into Percy’s guest room. I smiled to myself as I recalled that memory. It seemed so long ago when that happened when I finally met someone who actually noticed me.

            Some of my belongings were still here since I didn’t take all of them to Percy’s house. If I did, well, that would’ve taken awhile. There were some things here that I completely forgot that I had, and there were other things that flooded my head with tons of memories. I already said this before, but standing in this room made me feel very nostalgic.

            I ran my hand along the mattress that I used to call a bed that sat in the corner of my room. I almost had to chuckle at the thought. I can’t believe that I actually managed to sleep on this rough mattress. Now that I was thinking about it, was this thing even a mattress? I didn’t even remember where I got it from. I was starting to doubt that this thing was even a mattress.

            I glanced around at the rest of the room, and I smiled to myself. So many memories came rushing back to me. Like the time when I first played my electric guitar in my room and my father yelled at me for it being too loud. Or the time when I accidentally left my window open while doing my homework and all my papers went flying around the room when a gust of wind rushed by. Good times, good times,

            I decided to go visit my father’s room. I had never actually set foot in my father’s room or even had a peek at the interior of the room. I wonder what my father decided to make his room look like. This was going to be quite an experience for me.

             I imagined his room to be all dark and gloomy, or to have many family photos with me torn from them. That wouldn’t have been very surprising to me.

            My hand approached the doorknob or my father’s room, and my eyes widened at a sudden thought. That’s right, my father always loved me. Just in a completely different way than any normal parent would express their love to their child. Now I really wonder what my father’s bedroom looked like. I was still expecting at least  _some_  family pictures of me torn out of it.

            I twisted the doorknob and opened the door, and my mouth nearly dropped to the floor. Did…that just rhyme? I hate it when I rhyme.

            There was a giant king-sized bed in the center of the room against the back wall, but what I didn’t expect to see was a giant, framed picture of our whole family way back when I was ten. I remembered that particular photo; it was taken on my mother’s birthday. None of us knew how to set up the timer on our camera, and there was no one else to take the photo since my mother wanted everyone to be in it. There were numerous attempts when we tried to take the photo, and my father wanted to give up on the picture since it was taking so long. But, what  _really_  surprised me the most was the fact that I was still in the picture.

            On the left wall was a photograph of my mother and father on the day of their wedding. They both looked so happy, like every one of their problems melted away and was replaced with happiness on that day. That’s probably what everyone feels like on their wedding day. At least, I think. I’ve never had a wedding, so I wouldn’t know.

            On the right wall above some drawers were two pictures: one of my father and mother holding my elder sister on the first day of her birth, and another of the two of them holding me on the first day of my birth, I have never seen either of these pictures, but it made me happy that my father actually saved all these pictures.

            I smiled up at the center picture. It seemed so unreal that everyone in that picture except for me was gone. I sighed as my smile disappeared. If only they were still here with me. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands. I glanced at the ground. I was  _not_  going to cry here. I’ve cried enough times to last lifetimes. And, yes, the last word was supposed to be plural.

            I sharply inhaled and looked to my right. I slowly walked up to the two pictures that hung over my father’s drawers. I shoved my fists into my front pockets as I focused on the pictures. I wasn’t sure why, but I seemed so drawn to these two photos. Maybe because it was the beginning of the happy family that I loved five years ago. Maybe it was because I haven’t seen my parents as happy as they were in these pictures before.

            I began to turn around and walk out of the room to return to Percy’s house, but something in the corner of the room caught my eye. I raised an eyebrow to myself, wondering what it could’ve been. Maybe it was another picture? But, why would it be in the corner of the room where no one could notice it?

  I turned my head, and immediately upon eye contact my eyes widened and my jaw opened itself. The music that came from my earphones seemed to have faded away as I stared at the wall near the corner.

Why…why was there a huge blood stain splattered on the wall?

I closed the door behind me as I entered Percy’s house, my hands still trembling. My eyes were still wide with fear as I tried to comprehend what I just saw.

I tried taking deep breaths to calm myself, but nothing seemed to be working. It couldn’t have been an injury from my father beating me up because I had never set foot in that room before today. And, it couldn’t have been from my father because he died in a car crash. And, a car crashing into the second floor of a house would’ve been preposterous. Unless…the two men that told me how my father died were lying. But, what would they gain from lying to me? Did they want to see if I could figure out how my father really died or what? Why did they lie to me?

No, don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe the cause of the blood stain was from something else. Maybe my father and another person were in that room, and something happened and one of them was injured? No, that couldn’t have been right. The blood stain was far too large for only an injury. But, where did it come from? And how long was it there?

 I sank to the ground, burying my face into my knees. I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to calm myself once more. Where did it  _come_  from? I didn’t have any clue relating to the blood stain. The room seemed perfectly fine; nothing was knocked over, and everything seemed to be placed in an orderly fashion.  How did that blood stain get there?! This question was going to kill me if I didn’t find out the answer soon. How did detectives even figure out these kinds of conspiracies?

            I didn’t even realize that I was violently shaking until someone placed a hand on my shoulder. I jumped in my spot and quickly glanced up with wide eyes to find a worried and concerned Percy Jackson.

            “Percy?” I stupidly asked. I was too terrified to focus on anything but finding out the answer to my questions relating to the giant blood stain in my father’s room.

            “Hey,” Percy gently replied, concern and worry filling his gaze. “What’s wrong? I didn’t find you in your room when I woke up this morning, where did you go? You look like you went somewhere.”

            I could tell Percy was trying to be gentle about this, and I was very grateful for that. “Y-yeah,” I cleared my throat, “I…did go somewhere.”

            Percy arched an eyebrow. “Where did you go?”

            Everything that I was thinking about, it was okay to tell Percy, right? I sighed, what was I thinking? Of course it’s okay to tell Percy. He might be able to help me with this, and he was one of the two people who knew me most. The other one being Silena.

            I glanced up at Percy. “I went to my old house.”

            “You did? Why?” Percy went from being concerned to being confused.

            I shrugged, letting my hands fall to the ground. “I don’t know. I woke up early this morning, so I decided to take a walk. I passed by my old house so I thought ‘Why don’t I go back in there?’ So I did.”

            Percy knit his eyebrows. “And you happened to take a walk with the keys to your old house?”

            I rolled my eyes. “No, dumbass. I went back and got the keys.”

            Percy chuckled. “Sorry, sorry.” He moved his hand on my shoulder so that it caressed my cheek instead. “So? Why are you so scared?”

            I gulped. “I went into my father’s room since I had never gone into it before.”

            “You’ve never been into your dad’s room?” Percy questioned for confirmation.

            I nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to see what it looked like since I got curious. But, when I was leaving, in the corner of the room, I saw…” I trailed off, unable to finish. My eyes unfocused at the thought of what I saw.

            “Nico?” Percy worriedly called my name. “What did you see?”

            My hands clenched to form a fist. “I saw a giant blood stain splattered on the wall.”

            Percy’s eyes widened. “A…blood stain?”

            “Yeah, but, I don’t know why it’s there.” I glanced downward in disappointment.

            Percy rubbed circles on my cheek with his thumb. “It’s okay, Nico.” He left my face up so I was making eye contact with him. “We’ll find out one day why it’s there, alright? I promise you, we’ll find out soon enough.” He smiled at me, and I couldn’t take enough of Percy’s kindness. I really didn’t deserve a guy as kind and caring as him.

            I let out a breath that I didn’t even know I was holding. “Thanks, Percy. I really don’t deserve someone like you.”

            Percy raised an eyebrow once more. “Are you kidding?” His face turned somber, but a sad smile was on his face. “I really don’t deserve a guy like you.”

            My eyes widened as Percy continued to rub circles on my cheek. “Seriously? What have I ever done to you? All I’ve ever done was pile all my worries and problems onto you. Like, just now, I gave you my problem about that blood stain that was in my father’s room, even though it had nothing to do with you. You can forget about it, you know.”

            Percy shook his head. “You don’t pile all your worries and problems onto me. Remember when we first met? I wanted to know more about you, but you refused to tell me.” The smile on his face was no longer a sad one. “And, I bet it was because you didn’t want me to worry, isn’t that right?”

            I stayed silent at Percy’s words. He was right about that.

            “And today, just now, when I asked you where you went, you hesitated about telling me, didn’t you?  You didn’t want me to get involved in this blood stain business, but you let me know anyway because I wanted to know,” Percy added.

            “I don’t understand why you’re so smart at the most random of times,” I muttered.

            Percy softly laughed. “When I want to tell someone why my boyfriend is so special, I become a lot smarter.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Like that’s true.”

            Percy laughed once again. “I do want to tell the whole world how amazing you are, though.”

            I slightly frowned at him. “That would be embarrassing.”

            Percy smiled and leaned in, giving me a passionate kiss. He pulled back before I could respond, and he rested his forehead against my own. “Maybe it would.” He smiled so passionately it made my heart want to burst at how lovely it looked. “Happy birthday, Nico. I’ll always love you.”

            I smiled, a small blush evident on my face. “I’ll always love you too, Percy." 


	28. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Seven

        It was around six o'clock when Percy forced me to go and take a shower. I was playing my electric guitar while thinking about possibilities for that blood stain when Percy abruptly came in, threw clothes at me, and left before saying "Take a shower." I could only raise an eyebrow at the door, and the strumming on my guitar came to a stop. The clothes that he threw at me were really nice as well, but I had no idea where he actually got them. Did he just recently buy them or what? Or did he just always have clothes that I coincidently like to wear?

        Percy was currently driving me to who-knows-where, but it was most likely to that fancy restaurant that Percy wanted to take me to for my birthday today. Honestly, Percy does  _way_  too much for me. One day, it's going to be too much for me to handle. Did Percy do  _this_  much for Annabeth when they were dating? I wonder how she felt if Percy actually did go over the top like for me.

        When we arrived at the place, I couldn't even believe my eyes. The restaurant was  _humongous_ , and it looked more like a mansion than a restaurant. There were many glowing lights, and many parking spaces out in the front of the mansion as well. What? I did not call it a mansion. I would never make a stupid mistake like that.

        Percy parked, and I got out of the car, shutting the car door behind me. I shoved my hands into my front pockets while I scanned all around me. It was crowded, but not super crowded, and it was probably because this place must've been super expensive. I mean, it  _looked_  expensive.

        Percy led the way into the restaurant that seriously looked like a high-class mansion. How did Percy even  _afford_  this? I mean, as I recall, Percy didn't work at all. How in the world did he get money to do all of  _this_?!

        He opened the two glass double doors for me, and I nodded at him to show my thanks. Percy walked in behind me, closing the glass doors behind him.

        "Wait here, okay?" Percy smiled and me and kissed my nose, before going up to the front desk.

        The inside was even more astonishing to me than the exterior of the restaurant. There were many tables scattered around with a clean, white cloth that draped over each and every table. Most of the tables had people occupying them, but some of the tables seemed to be reserved. I'm guessing you needed to reserve a table before you take a step into this amazing place.

         It was pretty loud from all the people in the restaurant that were talking to one another. Three chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each of them sparkling in spectacular glory. Music played all throughout the restaurant, but it was barely heard because of all the voices that overpowered it. 

        Percy walked back up to me again while I was in awe over the whole entire place. I heard his deep chuckle next to my ear, which sent shivers down my spine.

        He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to his body, while somehow being able to keep my hands in my front pockets.

        "It's a nice place, huh?" Percy commented while looking all around at the interior of the restaurant. "I've never been here before, and this place looks amazing."

        "Yeah I know," I agreed with a nod, looking around the restaurant once more.

        A waiter came up to us and gave us a nod of acknowledgment along with a warm smile. "Please, follow me and I will show you to your table."

        Percy nodded back with a smile as well. "Thank you."

        "Of course." The waiter nodded once more, before taking off to what I assumed to be our reserved table. Damn, when did Percy even do all of this?

        "Come on." Percy smiled and unwrapped his arms from around my waist. He tugged on my arm, pulling my left hand out of my pocket, and he intertwined his fingers with mine. He led me to wherever the waiter went off to because I totally lost the guy the second he walked away.

        After what seemed like forever, we finally arrived at a table for two.

        "Thank you, again." Percy chuckled.

      The waiter nodded. "You're welcome, Mr. Jackson." He bowed to us before making his way elsewhere.

        There were already menus set up at the table, so we picked them up, and when another waiter came by, we ordered.

        The waiter smiled at us, before walking away to inform the chefs of a new order.

        "So, Percy," I started, "how did you even manage to get us into here?"

        "Would 'I worked very hard for this money' work?" Percy smirked.

        I rolled my eyes at him. "No, no it wouldn't. You don't even work in the first place."

        Percy laughed. "That's very true."

        "Yeah, it is." I shrugged. "Would you to tell me how you managed to get us in here? How do you even plan on paying for the food? I should've just ordered the most expensive thing on that menu just to see how you would deal with it."

        " _Wow_ , Nico, harsh. After all I've done for you." Percy shook his head, but in a joking manner. "My dad paid for it."

        "You usually call your step-dad by 'Paul,' so I'm guessing this is your real dad?" I arched an eyebrow, resting my chin in the palm of my dominant hand.

        Percy nodded. "Yeah. My mom divorced with him since he had a tendency to go make-out with whoever he found appealing. He isn't really the kind of guy to actually settle down."

        I nodded. "I see. And, I'm kind of hoping right now that you're not like that." I furrowed my eyebrows to nothing in particular.

        Percy's eyes went wide. "What? No! Of course not! The only people that I've actually made-out with were you and Annabeth if that makes you feel any better." He nervously laughed.

        "I guess it does." I shrugged, "Your dad must be pretty rich to get all of this. Does that mean he knows about me?"

        "Yeah, he does. He still keeps in touch with us, mostly because he got a child on accident." Percy frowned in disgust at the thought.

        I chuckled. "So, I take it that you're the child that came into this world on accident, huh?"

        Percy rolled his eyes. "Oh please shut up, Nico. And stop rubbing it in my face!" Percy pouted.

        I smiled in amusement at him. "It's actually pretty fun. I see why you just  _love_  to tease me."

        "And I see why you hate getting teased," Percy grumbled. "God, I hate you, Nico."

        "Oh, come on, Percy. I know that's a lie. I'm the master of all lies." I smirked at him.

        Percy could only reply with a clench of his teeth and a blush that slowly spread across his face.

        Another waiter came and set our food down in front of us, and we got our eating utensils ready.

        "Thank you," Percy thanked at the kind waiter.

        "Oh, you're welcome." the waiter smiled. "And thank you for coming to this restaurant."

        "Of course," Percy replied before the waiter took off to who-knows-where. Probably to deliver someone else's dinner.

        "Hey, Percy?" I said, catching Percy's attention.

        "I never saw your birthday present yesterday at the party, so I was wondering when I was getting it," I informed him.

        Percy smiled. "Oh, that's right. I wanted to give it to you on your actual birthday. The birthday present wouldn't seem very special if it was given to you on a day that  _wasn't_  your birthday, right?"

        I frowned at him. "Well, I don't have a lot of experience with birthdays anymore, but, I guess?"

        Percy chuckled. "Well, I'm going to change that, Nico. You are going to experience so many birthday parties that you are going to get  _sick_  of birthdays."

        I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Percy. Whatever you say."

        Percy set down his eating utensils and shoved his hand into his black coat pocket. He pulled out a small, black box that seemed as if it could fit jewelry inside. I already knew that there was some kind of jewelry inside, mostly because Percy and Silena forced me to wait outside while they went inside a jewelry store a few minutes after they realized that my birthday would be coming up soon.

        "I wonder what kind of jewelry you actually got me. You probably got me the most surprising present for my birthday," I said. "I mean, I would never expect someone to give me jewelry as a birthday present."

        Percy chuckled and handed the small box over to me. "Just open it. I think you'll like it."

        I softly took the small, black box that was handed to me. I flipped the top open, and inside, I saw a spectacular ring. It was a silver skull, polished to the finest degree, and the eyes of the skull were made of real rubies. The skull was so shiny that I could see a small reflection of myself staring down at the ring."

        I was staring, completely awe-struck at the ring. But, I finally managed to say, "Why do you always seem to know what to get me?"

        Percy smiled, seemingly pleased that I liked the present he gave me. "Well, wouldn't it be kind of sad if I didn't know what my boyfriend liked?"

        I shrugged. "Probably." I carefully pulled the silver skull ring from out of the box and I put in onto the middle finger of my right hand. 

        "It's amazing," I commented as I admired the ring with awe.

        Percy continued to smile like an idiot. Well, I probably didn't look any different from him since I was most likely staring at the ring with such a stupid face.

        "I'm just glad you like it," Percy sighed, relief filling his voice. "I was getting worried a lot by how you would react."

        I finally glanced at something  _other_  than the silver skull ring on my finger. "You were worried by my reaction?"

        Percy nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, what kind of boyfriend  _wouldn't_  be before they gave a present to the one that they love the most in their life?" 

        A blush formed on my face. "You...you just called me 'the one that you love the most in your life.'" My blush became a deeper shade of red from saying it out loud.

        And that was when Percy also started to blush. "Uh, yeah, I guess I did," he said with a nervous smile.

        "Is that..what you always think of me?" I ventured onward into our awkward conversation."

        Percy's nervous smile soon turned into a sincere smile. His expression was so full of love, that it made my heart pound like crazy. I couldn't even believe that his expression was directed at  _me_.

        "Yeah, it is. Do you like it?" He asked me.

        He really was expecting a response, but I was so captivated by how lovely Percy looked that I couldn't even give him an answer.

        Percy soon realized that I got lost in a trance when he chuckled. "Yes, Nico. I know I'm super sexy, now will you at least answer my question?"

        I blankly blinked in Percy's direction, and then I soon came back to reality. I clenched my teeth and averted my gaze, while my face was become warmer by the second.

        "Wow, I can't believe I just did that," I muttered to myself.

        But, apparently, Percy had really sharp ears.

        "Yeah, I know," Percy agreed. "I didn't think you were the type of guy to stare so hard."

        My face grew even warmer. "God, Percy! I fucking hate you!"

        Percy laughed, which seemed to be like music to my ears. "Oh, please. I know that's a lie."

        Now it was my turn to clench my teeth as my blush became a deeper shade of red.

        Percy could only chuckle at my silent response. "We better eat our food before it gets too cold."

        I nodded, taking deep breaths to calm my heart because it was beating like crazy. "Yeah, you're right.

        After we had devoured our dinner (I honestly didn't know how hungry I was. Either that or the food was just really good. Probably both.), we went back to Percy's car after Percy paid for our dinner.

        Percy had his hand together with mine as we made our way back. It felt so natural to have so much contact with him, even if my heart was beating freakishly fast. Okay, so maybe it wasn't natural if my heart was beating that fast,

        "Thanks, for tonight, Percy," I said without actually looking at Percy.  I leaned my head against Percy's shoulder.

        Without looking at him, I could already tell that he was smiling. "Aw, come on. I don't need a 'thanks.' I'm just glad to be here with you.

        I smiled. "Yeah, me too."

        "Are you tired?" Percy asked me.

        I shook my head, which still rested on Percy's shoulder. "Not really, why?"

        Percy chuckled. "Because there's more to your birthday present than just that ring."

        I frowned. "Don't tell me you bought something else. But, wait. Why would I need energy if you're just giving me something?"

        "Let's just say that we won't be able to make an accident this time, like my dad," Percy nonchalantly said.

        "What are you even talking about?" My frown grew. But, it soon clicked in my head. "Wait,  _what_?!"

        "God, Nico. I didn't think you were this oblivious either. I thought I was the oblivious one here." Percy slightly laughed.       

        He squeezed my hand with his. "I hope you're ready for tonight, Nico."

        I was glad it was dark out now, or Percy would've seen my very obvious blush. "Shut up, Percy."

        He chuckled. "I guess you are." He took his hand from mine and wrapped it around my waist instead, pulling me closer to him as he rubbed my side.

        Percy glanced down at me, and I looked up at him.

        "God, Nico, you don't know how much I love you right now. I would totally jump you right now if we weren't in public." Percy sensually licked his lips, which really turned me on. But, I definitely wouldn't admit that out loud.

        "Uh, I love you too?" 

        Percy chuckled once again. "I love you too, Nico." He kissed me on the forehead just before we got to Percy's car.


	29. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pLEASE read my warning that I made back when I was 14:
> 
> WARNING: THAT IS A "W" FOLLOWED BY AN "ARNING." 99% of the readers for this story wanted this--as I can tell from the comments--so, uh, yeah. I've never typed this sort of thing, so sorry if it's stupid, messed-up, et cetera. Hope you enjoy it?

Percy did not waste a single moment. He really was keeping it in his pants for a while.

I walked through Percy's open front door. I was pretty stupid to not realize how eager Percy was for this day. I mean, he was driving home pretty fast, but I never noticed it before until I was pushed up against the wall and had a tongue shoved down my throat.

"P-Percy!" I attempted to say while Percy was exploring my mouth. My face was pretty much red, and I was still in shock from how quickly the situation escalated.

He stopped and looked at me, his sea-green eyes so full of lust. His hand caressed my cheek, and his lower regions were pressed up into mine. His other hand pinned my wrist to the wall.

We were both breathing heavily, and Percy looked slightly irritated at my interruption.

"The door," I simply said, fatigue slipping from my voice.

Percy's eyes flickered over to the open door. When his gaze landed back onto me, I couldn't help but shiver at the smile that played over his lips.

"We can get it later," Percy said, and I could already tell how many different things he wanted to do by his expression.

"But--" I was cut off by his soft lips catching my own. My eyes closed shut and my arms seemed to have wrapped around his shoulders without my permission.

Percy's hands slid from their previous positions onto my ass, giving them multiple squeezes. I moaned breathlessly into his mouth, instinctively moving forward to get more of Percy's sweet, addicting taste that seemed to come from his mouth. Percy seemed to do the same; seemingly pleased with the taste that came from my own.

Percy gave my ass one more squeeze before lifting me into the air. I seemed to go along with it. I wrapped my legs around his waist so I wouldn't fall, and my fingernails dug into Percy's clothing.

Percy moaned from the feeling, pushing me more into the wall and grinding his lower regions against mine. We both hissed at the strange feeling, but we became more obsessed with the feeling the more we ground against each other.

Percy's lips moved away from mine, and instead, his tongue reached the sensitive skin by my collarbone. He hoisted my ass onto one of his arms, and he moved the collar of my shirt away with his other hand. He softly sucked onto the sensitive skin, which was when I started uncontrollably moaning. My head hit the wall that I was pushed up against, and I bit my bottom lip to suppress anymore that threatened to come out of my mouth.

His lips left the skin by my collarbone, and I almost whined from the lost feeling.

"Don't hide them," Percy breathlessly said, lust pooling around in his sea-green eyes as he rested his forehead against mine. His hand went back down onto my ass, giving them another tight squeeze.

My teeth hesitantly released my bottom lip, and Percy delved his tongue deeper into my mouth than before. I moaned at the sudden action, and Percy squeezed my ass in response.

My back suddenly came off of the wall. I moved my lips back from Percy, completely bewildered. I felt myself moving.

I could hear Percy's deep chuckle. "Don't worry. You aren't in some kind of tight position or anything."

"Was that supposed to be a pun during this time?" I said with a smirk after regaining my voice from what just happened.

Percy softly laughed. "Maybe, yeah."

I rolled my eyes. "You are so ridiculous, Percy."

"You are so cute, Nico."

My eyebrows shot up. "What?"

Percy's eyes seemed to become wide from what he previously said. It seemed as if he didn't mean to say it out loud.

"Uh, nothing." He cracked an awkward smile.

He decided to change the subject by reattaching his sweet lips onto mine.

We somehow managed to make-out without losing our positions on the trek up the stairs and into Percy's room.

When we arrived at his room, he dropped me onto his soft bed and immediately climbed on top of me and between my legs.

He placed his arms to the sides of my head, and he pushed his lips onto mine, prying them open with his enticing, wet tongue. I felt like I was in heaven at this moment; I never wanted this moment to stop.

He tugged on the hem of my shirt, and the only time our lips parted from each other's was when Percy took off my shirt and threw it onto the ground into no particular place. He sat up and took off his own shirt, before throwing on the ground as well. My eyes automatically scanned his muscled, toned body, and I almost drooled from the sight of it.

Percy spotted what I was doing, and he bent down until our lips were mere millimeters apart. The places where our skin touched seemed like it was on fire.

"You like what you see?" Percy asked with a sly smirk on his face. He probably would've made me blush from embarrassment, but the lust from his eyes changed that.

I smirked. "Maybe," I simply replied.

Percy chuckled and, without warning, pushed his lips onto mine and move them as sensually as possible. My eyes widened at the sudden action, but they soon fluttered shut at the pleasurable feeling.

My arms swung around Percy's neck, and Percy grinder his lower regions onto mine once more. I moaned at the feeling, and Percy took that chance to delve his tongue into the warmth of my mouth.

I began to fist his black hair in my hands, and Percy moaned breathlessly into my mouth. I could feel how warm his breath was, but his tongue was still distracting me a lot. I didn't dare do anything back; I just continued to let Percy explore the insides of my mouth.

One of Percy's hands slid from the side of my head and down my sides. I hissed at the strange feeling, and I could feel Percy smirking as he continued to tongue-kiss me.

His venturing hand ended up by the hem of my jeans. He lifted himself up, but he somehow managed to keep our lips intact. His hand fumbled with the button on my jeans; his other hand was on the bed by the right side of my head, keeping his balance.

He eventually unbuttoned them, and he pulled the zipper downward. My chest felt like it was about to burst from what Percy was about to do. My face was obviously red, and those flying pterodactyls in the pit of my stomach began to flutter around again. There was also a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I tried to focus on that instead of what Percy was aiming to do.

He pulled my jeans further down, revealing the black fabric of what could only be my boxers. I didn't know if my embarrassing face could become any redder, but I'm pretty sure it just did when I heard the sound of my jeans hitting the floor of Percy'a bedroom.

I instinctively tightened my jaw and looked away from Percy lustful gaze. I didn't know how he did it without me noticing, but I heard another  _thud_  of something hitting the ground, which I presume to be Percy's own pants.

"Don't hide your face from me, Nico," Percy's warm breath appeared by my ear. The hand that was doing some exploring came up to my cheek in an attempt to turn my face toward Percy's.

I forced myself to look at Percy's bedroom wall instead. "It's embarrassing," I said through clenched teeth.

Percy's lips came so close to my ear that I could feel them moving with every word he said.

"Really?" His deep chuckle always seemed to send shivers down my spine. "Because, in my opinion, I thought it was pretty hot."

"Hot as in temperature?" I asked, even though I already knew what Percy meant.

Percy chuckled once again. "That too. But, the way I mean it is--"

He surprisingly licked my earlobe, making me jump in my spot on his bed and gasp at the sudden feeling.

"--you're a lot sexier than you think you are," Percy finished.

He took that moment of surprise to move my face towards his. He drew circles along my cheek with his thumb, and his soft and sincere smile made my heart want to break through my rib cage.

"You ready?" He asked me again in a serious tone, but the lust evident in his eyes didn't quite match his tone of voice.

I nodded in certainty. "Yeah, I am."

I gave Percy my best, softest smile, and I could feel Percy's unnoticeably tense shoulders relax.

Percy's lips attached themselves onto mine in the most passionate, and somehow fierce, kiss that night. His hand slid from my cheek and down to my boxers.

He stroked my pointed manhood through the dark fabric, and I almost bit Percy's lip from the unannounced action. The hands that fisted Percy's hair clenched more tightly together, and I gasped, my back arching in the process.

Percy's enticing tongue decided to delve back into my mouth, and I could not stop moaning into Percy's open mouth as he continued to torturously stroke my quivering manhood. It obviously wanted more than just stroking.

My moans began to reach a higher volume once Percy began to pump my manhood, along with rubbing the very tip of it. I was really afraid of someone waking up and opening the door to see what we were doing. If Paul found us, it would be an endless night of teasing from the man.

My heels dug into Percy's mattress, and I thrust my lower regions against Percy's. He moaned at my action, but it turned into a smirk when he pulled his tongue back into his own mouth.

"Desperate, huh?" Percy teased while panting at the same time.

My teeth clenched together once more. "Shut up."

He softly laughed at my response. He moved downwards, slowly unveiling the pulsing manhood that seemed to be my own. He threw my boxers somewhere on the ground, but that was a minor detail to me.

He placed a hand on my hip, and another on the inside of my thigh. He pushed my legs even farther apart, giving him more space to do who-knows-what to my manhood.

He eyed it hungrily like a predatory animal. Watching him stare at my manhood made me more and more impatient, yet nervous all the same.

Then, he took it all into his warm, enticing mouth. The whole length of it. I moaned the loudest I ever had, and my back arched off the bed. My heels of my feet dug even deeper into Percy's mattress, and my hands automatically pulled on Percy's soft, dark hair.

He pulled his mouth away from my manhood with a loud  _pop_. I was about to whine from the loss of pleasure, but when my swollen lips parted, a loud moan erupted instead when Percy decided to slowly lick the whole shaft from the base to the very tip.

He took the whole length into his mouth once again, and he sucked on it while using his tongue to lick the pre-come off the very tip.

I was too busy moaning my life away that I didn't even notice three fingers tapping on my lips. Percy still continued to lick my shaft, but I could tell what Percy wanted me to do. I took the three fingers into my mouth, and I tried to coat them as much as possible.

I heard another loud  _pop_  as Percy released his mouth from my manhood. Percy pulled his fingers away from my mouth. He placed my legs on his shoulders as we both tried to catch our breath.

My breathing hitched when I felt something circling my fingers. I glanced up at Percy, who seemed to look a bit uncertain. I decided to nod, showing him that he could continue.

He smiled at me, but I could still see the worry in his eyes--along with lust. "Tell me if it hurts too much, got it?"

I silently nodded, and he bent down to attach his lips onto mine.

His first finger soon intruded my entrance, but it didn't hurt like how I expected it to. It just felt a little...uncomfortable. I shifted a bit, but it didn't seem to help.

His lips moved away from mine and ended up settling by the skin near my collarbone. He licked and sucked the sensitive skin, trying his best to distract me, which really worked.

Another finger was added in, and that was when it started to hurt. I flinched, and my teeth clenched tightly together. My hands were so tightly clenched onto Percy's hair as if it depended on my life.

Percy most likely sensed my immense discomfort. He moved his lips to another location, and I began to moan uncontrollably when Percy took one of my hardened nipples into his mouth. He licked and moved his tongue along the hardened bud, earning very loud moans from none other than myself.

He started to move his two fingers placed in my entrance around so he could stretch my entrance some more. I gritted my teeth as I tried to focus on the pleasurable feeling that resonated from my chest where Percy was sucking on my nipple as if there was no tomorrow.

All of a sudden, a shockwave of pleasure coursed throughout my whole entire body. My back arched instantly, and my moans became one long and extremely loud moan.

Percy released my nipple with a smirk. "Found it."

He began to relentlessly torture the one spot that sent shock waves of pleasure throughout my body. He rubbed and rubbed it over and over, and my moans became chronic. He scissored my entrance to stretch it out even more.

He was still torturing that one damn pleasurable spot that wouldn't stop my moans. But, I managed to catch Percy as he said, "One more finger."

He slowly inched in one last finger. I clenched my teeth together once more, but the pain seemed to have disappeared once Percy resumes to mercilessly torture the pleasurable spot that sent my legs shaking and the urge to come.

He pumped the three fingers up and down continuously in my entrance, still torturing that pleasurable spot. My moans came one after another, and I pushed back onto Percy's fingers every time he pumped them.

The fingers in my entrance came out, and I whined at the lost feeling. My hands slowly unraveled from Percy's dark hair.

Percy's deep chuckle rang throughout the room as he reached for something on his nearby nightstand. "You are so fucking perverted, Nico."

"Look at who's talking," I panted, amusement sparkling in my eyes as I saw Percy uncapping a bottle.

Percy smirked, squeezing something from the bottle onto his hand. "I'm not even going to answer that. Ready?"

I nodded, finally catching my breath. "Go for it."

Percy nodded in response. He threw the bottle back onto the nightstand somewhere. And, I wasn't even sure when Percy exactly took his boxers off, but they were gone.

The tip of Percy's manhood circled my entrance, and then it plunged in.

The first words that came out of my mouth through gritted teeth were: "Holy shit! You're fucking  _huge_!"

Percy quietly laughed. "I try for you, Nico."

I wasn't even sure how to respond to that.

Once Percy was fully in, he stopped so I could catch my breath and actually  _breathe_ , because the whole time, I instinctively held my breath. I couldn't even believe that Percy was actually  _in_  me.

I managed to actually nod. Even though Percy stretched me out a lot, it still hurt like Hell. My lower regions felt like they were set on fire, and I was pretty positive if Percy didn't move soon, then my legs might have the possibility of going numb.

Percy hesitantly began to thrust up and down. His hands were positioned to the sides of my head so he could keep his balance, and I could still sense that Percy had a hint of worry for me and my well being

The pain gradually began to disappear as Percy began to thrust at a faster pace. A moan escaped past my lips, and Percy became more confident because his thrusts seemed to have gotten even faster.

Soon enough, his manhood brushed the pleasurable spot within me. My back arched, and I fisted Percy's hair once again. A long, extended moan erupted from me, and Percy knew exactly what to torture from then on.

He torturously thrust in that exact spot, while moan after moan passed through my lips. Soon, I was pushing back onto Percy's manhood every time he thrust inwards, and his thrusts started to become even faster.

The bed creaked under us from all the movement, but neither of us seemed to care. Percy's movements only became more rapid, along with my own movements against Percy's thrusts.

Percy moaned now and then, but he suddenly started to moan as much as I did. The speed of Percy's thrusts increased.

"Gonna...come...Percy," I managed to see in between moans.

I could hear Percy's heavy breathing over me, and I could tell that he was about to climax as well.

A few more thrusts from Percy to my pleasurable spot sent me over the edge.

"Percy!" I moaned as I began to see white, despite the darkness. I climaxed onto Percy's stomach, and it was the most intense climax I had ever experienced in my life.

"Nico!" Percy moaned a few seconds after me, and I could feel his come fill me and spill onto the sheets of Percy's bed.

Percy collapsed onto me after he finished his climax, and we both tried to catch our breath. We were both hot and sweaty from the experience, even though it was the middle of Winter.

Percy slowly pulled himself out of me. I winced a bit, but it was gone a second later.

"Percy," I began once I finally caught my breath.

"Yeah?" he replied, fatigue evident in his voice.

"The front door is still open," I informed him.

There was a long pause between us before Percy chuckled. "Totally forgot I ditched the open door for you. Too fucking tired to close it, but now I have to. Hold on."

Percy's warm body left mine as he exited the room. I turned onto my side and decided to fall asleep. But, for some reason, I couldn't.

It was when I heard the door click closed, a dip in the bed, and a warm body embrace me that I could finally drift off into sleep.

"I love you. Nico. So, so much," I faintly heard Percy say.

"I love you too, Percy," I mumbled back before I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	30. Part 2) Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Percy is some hormonal little shit. So is Nico. Rated R scene coming up, but it's not as intense as the last one. (I also just need more practice writing these kinds of scenes in my opinion.)
> 
> I think NOW the indentation problem is gone from here on out. Hopefully...

It was the next day after Percy and I made love in the middle of the night after our trip to a fancy restaurant. That night, I had the best sleep of my life. I was warm from Percy's soft blanket and his strong, muscular arms, but to be honest, Percy cuddling into me was more comfortable than the blanket.

The blanket was covered a bit in our semen, and I couldn't even believe that I fell asleep in it. But, hey, I was so caught up with making love with Percy that I just didn't even care. It was the best night and the best birthday that I've ever had, so why should I let a little semen ruin it?

But, of course, I just  _had_  to wake up from my dreamless, but comfortable, sleep.

I knew I was awake, but my eyelids were still closed. I wished that if I stayed like that a little bit longer, then maybe I would fall back asleep.

But nope. It doesn't work that way for Nico di Angelo.

I forced to open my heavy eyelids, and yawn automatically escaped my lips. When I finally got my eyelids to be at least halfway open, I let my vision focus. I realized, once all my senses were finally focused, that I was laying on Percy's bed on my back. I was staring up at Percy's ceiling, and an arm was draped protectively around my waist. The left side of me was warmer than my right because that was where Percy lay.

I tilted my head just a bit slight to look at Percy's window. The blue curtains (of course they're blue) covered the window, but I could still see light trying to peek in through the window just to wake both of us up. Well, it succeeded in getting one of those people awake.

I groggily turned onto my side to stare at the one and only Perseus Jackson. Percy's hand snaked around my waist and onto my ass, but I didn't give it any mind. Percy was squeezing them nonstop yesterday anyway. But, thinking about what we did last night in the very spot that I was currently laying in sent heat rushing into my face.

I set my hand down onto Percy's cheek, drawing random patterns on it with my thumb. I just  _couldn't_  believe that Percy was actually  _my boyfriend._ I couldn't believe that he  _actually_  loved me as much as I did. I couldn't believe that I fell in love with a person that didn't even know me. Yet, here I was, cuddling in  _his_  bed in  _his_  house with that  _exact_  person. Usually, happy things never happened to me anymore. But, here I was.

 _Don't get too hopeful, Nico_ , a voice inside of my head seemed to say.  _Whenever something good happens to you, it will always fade away. Just like your mother and your sister._

I pushed those thoughts aside, clenching my teeth in anger. I unconsciouslyglared at nothing in particular _._

My eyes seemed to soften when my gaze landed on Percy. His peaceful, angelic face made it seem as if the world's biggest problems would never reach him, no matter how hard they tried. I wish I looked this peaceful whenever I was asleep. But then again, I never knew what I looked like when I was sleeping. Maybe I should ask Percy later when he wakes up.

I scanned Percy's ocean blue walls, and I finally found what I wanted: a clock. Don't judge me; I just want to know what time it was.

The clock read about 12:18. (Yes, about 12:18. I wasn't very good at reading clocks that weren't digital, okay?) If it was 12:18, that must mean that Sally, Paul, and Tyson were most likely up and out of bed, unlike me.

Then, the reality of the situation dawned on me, and I immediately bolted up into a sitting position on Percy's semen-covered bed.

Shit, shit, shit! What if someone heard us making love last night? Or worse. What if they  _all_  heard? Were they all just having a conversation about what to do with me over their lunch at that moment? Well, excluding Tyson because he was way too young for that kind of conversation.

I slowly laid myself back into bed, staring again at Percy's angelic face as he slept. How in Hell would they deal with it? What would they think if I walked down there right now only for them to know that I just had sex with their eldest son the night previous? Would they be furious? Disgusted? Appalled, even? Would they kick me out? What would they even do? Well, whatever they would do, I certainly didn't want to find out.

Percy stirred, and I immediately turn around so Percy wouldn't catch me staring at him.

His arms held me more tightly, and he pulled my body against his.

He chuckled. "I know you were staring at me, Nico." Percy's deep, morning voice in my ear sent shivers down my spine.

"No, I wasn't," I grumbled.

"Don't deny it, Nico." I could literally feel Percy's smirk.

"I'm gonna deny it until the day I die," I said. "And by the time that day comes, we probably won't even be talking to each other anymore." I didn't mean for that last sentence to come out, but I guess my thoughts wanted to be heard.

Percy flipped me over so I was staring at the ceiling again, but it was soon covered by Percy's beautiful face.

He showered me with kisses and kissed every he could: my eyelids, my nose, my forehead, my cheek, my temple, and lastly, my lips. The kiss that he gave me on my lips was longer and more passionate than any of the others ones that he just gave me. My eyes fluttered shut and I automatically began kissing Percy back.

He eventually (to my dismay) pulled back for air. He panted, but it wasn't like I was either. His soft, plump, pink lips were a bit bruised from kissing me so hard.

He rested his forehead against my own with a serious expression on his face that matched his tone of voice."I promised you, didn't I? I'm gonna be with you for as long as you want me to."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck with a chuckle. "You can't force yourself to be with me though. If you want to break up with me, then you should instead of lying to me." My expression grew serious as well. "Okay?"

Percy returned the pleasant smile. "I don't think I'll have to worry about that. I will  _never_  want to break up with you, Nico."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Whatever you --"

He shut me up with another kiss, this one a bit harder than the last. Our lips moved sensually against each other, and Percy's hand moved down my body until it grabbed my semi-flaccid penis.

I broke the kiss and glanced up at him. "Don't tell me we're doing this again, you hormonal shit?"

Percy smirked but rolled his eyes at the name. "I know you want it too."

His fingertips slowly brushed the sides of my manhood, earning a whimper from my own mouth.

"Fuck, Percy, just do it," I demanded him, and Percy could only chuckle.

"Gladly," was all Percy replied before slipping down so that he was eye-level with my manhood. I willingly spread my legs apart, and he started by torturously rubbing the tip of it while grabbing one of the testicles into his mouth.

I gasped and watched him as I felt his tongue swirl along it. My legs were shaking with want and desire, and I could see pre-come glisten on the thumb that rolled along the tip of my now flaccid penis.

He released the testicle and his thumb.

"Percy," I whined, before gasping and moaning when I felt something warm envelop my whole entire manhood. "P-Percy!" I moaned, clawing at the bed sheets desperately, my head thrown back into Percy's pillow.

His tongue swirled around on the tip of my manhood, but soon Percy resorted to bobbing his head up and down. He sometimes ran his teeth along the side of my shaft in a soft manner, elucidating more moans as quiet as possible from myself, which wasn't very quiet if I was, to be honest.

He released it with a loud  _pop_ , and his tongue ran along the whole shaft--from the base to the very tip. He licked off some more pre-come and resumed to sucking my manhood.

When I felt his fingers start to play with my nipples, that was when I was about to be sent over the edge.

"Sh-shit, Percy!" I bit my lip to suppress another moan, but it slipped out anyway.

He teased my nipples, squeezing and rubbing them very lightly which made me want more. I pushed my manhood deeper into the warmth of Percy's mouth, and Percy sucked on it harder than ever before.

My legs were shaking uncontrollably now, and Percy probably knew that I was close to climaxing. My heels dug into Percy's mattress, and my knuckles were probably white from gripping Percy's bed sheets so desperately.

When he started to bob his head on the very tip of my penis, that was when I was finally sent over the edge.

I cried Percy's name, and my vision was blurred with white. Some of the come dripped down my manhood, but most of it went into Percy's own mouth.

He released it with another loud  _pop_ , and he crawled back up and gave me a third kiss on the lips. He straddled me and rolled his hard penis against mine as we kissed over and over again.

"I can't stop touching you, Nico," Percy breathlessly said as his lips left mine. They were still close enough that they brushed against each other with every word that came out of Percy's mouth. "I want to be as close to you as I can so, so badly."

"I do too." I panted, my dark brown eyes meeting Percy's sea-green ones. "But right now, I could use a shower."

"Agreed." Percy chuckled. "But, can I come shower with you? You need to return the favor anyway. Either that or I'm masturbating. And, it would be a lot more fun if you returned the favor."

I rolled my eyes, a hue of red tainting my cheeks, but I never replied to his pleas until we got into the shower together and I pushed him against the wet, tiled wall.

* * *

 

Walking down Percy's staircase was a pain. I never knew how sore I actually was from last night until I started to walk farther distances than going to the bathroom from Percy's room

Percy laughed at me when I first attempted to walk. He even teased me by saying, "Did I push too hard for you?"

It all ended when I sent him my famous death glares.

When I reached the living room with Percy, we were tackled with Tyson's ridiculously embarrassing questions.

"Why did you yell Brother's name? Why are you walking funny? Why did Brother make weird noises when I walked past the bathroom? What were you guys doing?" He innocently asked.

Percy's and my face immediately turned red as a tomato at Tyson's very forward questions. Well, he was only seven, so I couldn't blame him.

We heard someone clear their throat, and Percy and I whirled around to find the people that I dreaded to see the most that day: Paul and Sally.

"Percy, Nico," Paul nodded at each of us when he said our names, "we need to discuss a few things if you don't mind."


	31. Part 2) Chapter Thirty

Well, shit.

I stole a glance at Percy, and he looked as nervous as I felt. He glanced at me with an unreadable gaze and I stiffened. It was going to be a very long and awkward conversation here on out.

Paul and Sally knew that we would have to go with them, but they stared at us expectantly, patiently waiting for an answer.

Percy sighed deeply, his face tinged with the slightest color of red. He took my hand into his and pulled me toward his parents, who nodded in approval and walked upstairs.

Percy and I climbed the stairs in an uncomfortable silence, and when we reached the top of the staircase, I saw Paul and Sally enter Percy's room.

Well, shit once again.

Percy grimaced when the forms of his parents disappeared into his bedroom.

He turned toward me. "Sorry for, you know,  _this_." He made a circle with his free hand between Percy, his room, and me.

I shook my head in response and squeezed his hand. "You don't have to. I wanted it anyway."

"But  _I_  started it," Percy retorted.

"But  _I_  let you," I objected.

"But--"

I cut him off. "No but's, Percy."

"Aw," Percy pouted, "but I like your butt."

I stared at him with a face that said  _Really?_ He gave me a sheepish smile, but it faded into seriousness as he pulled me into his room.

When we both entered the room, the first sentence that came out was from, of course, Paul.

"Man," Paul stood there with his arms crossed, shaking his head as he examined the bed sheets with his wife, "there is  _a lot_  on your bed. Now tell me, how many times did you guys do it to be able to produce this large amount?"

Percy and I immediately blushed and turned away from each other, but our hands were still locked together.

Paul slowly turned around with an eyebrow raised. "Well? How many times?"

There was a long pause before Percy sighed, finally giving in. But, apparently, he couldn't look Paul in the eyes.

"Twice on my bed," Percy muttered. "And once in the bathroom."

"The bathroom too?!" Sally repeated incredulously. "Oh, Percy," she muttered under her breath."

She timidly plucked the blanket from the bed and examined it with narrowed eyes. "We definitely need to get you new sheets, Percy." She turned around and faced us, obviously noticing our interlocked hands. "Percy, may I speak to you in private?"

Percy looked more than extremely uncomfortable about the situation. "Y-yeah, Mom. Sure."

Percy pecked a kiss on my cheek as a way of saying goodbye, and Paul rolled his eyes. "You've had enough of each other last night! Go, Percy." He moved his hand in a shooing motion. "Go with your mom."

Percy blushed and rolled his eyes before leaving the room with his mother.

Paul looked as if he was considering to take a seat on the bed, but the face he made told me that he decided not to.

Paul sighed. "I guess I'll have to have 'the talk' with you now."

"The... _talk_?" I arched an eyebrow.

Paul's eyebrows raised as he chuckled. "Your parents had never talked to you about that?"

My lips tilted downward. "Er, no."

Paul smirked. "This'll be  _very_  interesting."

I raised an eyebrow, and Paul continued.

"So, who was on top: you or my step-son?" Paul put very bluntly.

My eyes widened as a blush spread across my face. " _Excuse me_?!"

Paul shrugged. "This is 'the talk,' Nico. Now will you answer me or will you make things more awkward?"

I mumbled, "I think things will become more awkward if I answer."

Paul chuckled. "True enough. So?"

"Percy," I quietly answered.

Paul sighed and glanced up at the ceiling as if envisioning it. "Of course. Did he use any protection?"

I was thoroughly surprised that Paul didn't make fun of how red my face was.

I grit my teeth. "Well...no."

"Did he use lubricant?" Paul raised an eyebrow.

God, can I just die now? That sounded like a very nice option.

My shoulders tensed from embarrassment. "I think so."

"You  _think_  so?" Paul repeated incredulously.

I tried to recall whether Percy did use some, but every time I would think about last night, I would become extremely self-conscious and embarrassed.

I frowned. "I think he was uncapping  _something_."

Paul sighed and swiped a hand down his face. "I feel like you're being extremely vague on purpose."

My eyes widened once more. "Of course not! Did you think that I  _want_  to talk about this?! It was dark, okay? And my mind was a bit fuzzy."

"Because all you were thinking about that night was Percy's--"

"God, Paul! I feel like you're trying to make me feel like this on purpose!"

Paul laughed, and all I could do was desperately sigh, hoping for this conversation to end as soon as possible.

"I guess we're both on the same page then." Paul's laughter died away--and I hoped that I would do the same.

Paul sighed, attempting to become serious again. "Alright, then. Are you clean?"

I timidly nodded. I was so tempted to jump out the window that was located behind me.

Paul smiled. "Well, that's good. But remember: this is the age where teenagers decided that it's fine to do whatever they want. And it's not. When you become an adult, you will regret almost everything that you did. I know I did," Paul added with a huff.

Paul continued. "My point is: think these things through. You know, now that I think about it, I can call it the '4 T's for Teens. Think These Things Through.' Wow, why did I not think of this earlier? I guess we both learn new things during 'the talk,' eh?"

I grimaced. "This hardly seems like the time for this, Paul."

Paul chuckled. "Now you sound just like Sally!" Paul cleared his throat. "But anyway, like I said earlier, think everything you do in your head. I mean, where else would you think?"

I managed a laugh. "You know, I'm surprised you're not Percy's actual father."

Paul smiled. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I mean, you guys don't look the same, but you sure do act the same."

Paul chuckled, but then cleared his throat again. "Okay, now we're getting sidetracked. You set me up for that, didn't you, Nico?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say."

Paul smiles once again. "Well, you know what I'm trying to say here, right? And listen, I know you teenagers are all hormonal but do the world a favor and tone it down a bit. Especially for Tyson. We don't want him to learn these things at such a young age."

He stared at me seriously. "Having sex too much is bad for you. Don't stare at me like that, I know I said 'sex.'"

My eyes were bulged out and my face was fifty shades of red. My teeth were clenched together, and I was  _really_  restless. Like I said before, I wanted to get out of this conversation as soon as possible. And, jumping out Percy's window still seemed like a considerable option.

Paul sighed, but amusement twinkled in his eyes. "It hurt, didn't it?"

I decided to look anywhere but Paul's face. Preferably the window, and how better it looked outside than it was in here with Paul and our awkward conversation. I never want "the talk" again.

"I'm guessing it did," Paul surmised, "from the fact that you broke our eye contact."

I sighed. "Is this conversation done now?"

Paul laughed. "Oh, I'm not nearly done."

I groaned, and Paul found my reaction very amusing.

"But, I won't talk about it anymore. You seem like a responsible person, so I'll let you off this time. Percy?  _Hm_ , not so much."

I smiled at that. Percy didn't really strike me as the responsible type anyway.

"If I would take a guess, did Percy make the first move on you last night and this morning?"

I shifted my weight between my feet, suddenly taking interest in the ground. "Well, yeah. But in the bathroom--"

"You were returning the favor," Paul finished for me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "How did you--"

"Remember one of Tyson's questions? He asked you why Percy was making weird noises in the bathroom," Paul replied with a mischievous smile. "And, I guess Percy really enjoyed it. You know, we can hear you from downstairs and through the walls from last night."

"God, Paul, I swear!" Paul burst out into laughter, and I didn't know if my face could become anymore red from then on.

Paul cleared his throat and deeply exhaled. "Well, we're done here. I'm not sure if Percy and Sally are done, but you can check if you'd like."

I nodded, eager to get out before Paul teased me again.

When my hand grasped the doorknob, Paul asked, "Nico, do you love Percy?"

I glanced behind my shoulder at Paul and nodded. "Of course I do. I owe the happiness that I live in right now to your stepson, Paul. I love him so, so much."

Paul smiled sincerely at my answer. "Well, that's good. I hope you two keep it that way."

I nodded in acknowledgment. "Thanks, Paul."

"Of course." I heard Paul say before I exited Percy's blue bedroom.


	32. Part 2) Chapter Thirty-One

If the previous conversation wasn't awkward enough, I just  _had_  to have a run-in with Percy's little brother, Tyson. It was as if he was going through some kind of growth spurt. The last time I ever paid attention to his height, I was pretty sure he just barely reached my waist. Now he was almost eye level to me. How old was Tyson again? Seven years-old?

Okay, now I felt pretty short.

"Nico! Nico! Nico!" Tyson chanted as he grabbed my arm and jumped up and down. My arm felt as if it would all off at this point.

"Y-yeah?" I managed to say through all of the movement.

He stopped and stared at me innocently, his hand still clutching my forearm. "What was Daddy talking 'bout? And what are Percy and Mommy talking 'bout?"

I stared at him with eyes wide, unsure of what to say. I mean, what do you say to a little seven year-old who asks you that?

"Er, adult stuff," I awkwardly replied.

"Adult stuff?" Tyson looked a bit too fascinated. "What adult stuff?!"

God, he looked  _way_  too happy about this. And me? I felt really awkward and embarrassed about all of this.

I decided to put my lying skills to use. "They wanted to talk to us about financial aid and...mortgage. You won't be able to understand until you get older."

Now Tyson looked thoroughly perplexed. "Okay. That sounds confusing."

I nodded slowly. I felt a bit guilty that I had to lie to a seven year-old sibling of my boyfriend's.

"Yeah, it is," I replied, going along with my stupid lie.

"Okay! See you around, Nico!" Tyson went back to his normal, goofy self as he laughed and skipped back into his room.

Damn, how did that kid get so fucking tall?

I shook the thought out of my mind as I made my way down the flight of stairs.

...

When I arrived at the entrance of the living room, I surveyed the scene with a raised eyebrow.

I couldn't even  _see_  Percy's face. He was sitting on the couch next to his mother, and he was hunched over. His hands hid his face, and Sally looked a thousand percent done with the conversation, but of course, as a mother, she had to do it anyway.

Sally glanced up at the entrance; she probably heard me coming. Not like,  _coming_  as in last night and this morning, but, uh, you know what I mean, right? I sure hope you do, because I am  _not_  getting into detail.

"Done with Paul?" she asked with a small smile.

"I guess." I shrugged my shoulders. My eyes flickered over to Percy. "I guess Percy isn't liking the situation."

Sally chuckled. "You think?"

"I've already told you, Mom!" Percy's voice was muffled by his hands. "We've already had this talk before!"

"Percy, 'the talk' that we had before was involving women. Now that you're with Nico, I need to give you the talk about men."

"God, I hate this so much!" Percy looked like he was falling through the pits of Hell.

Sally sighed. "You have to get through it sometime, Percy."

"I did," Percy whined.

"That was for  _women_ , Percy."

"So, I have to go through it again?"

"If you want to date Nico, then yes you have to."

"Damn it, now I have to listen to this."

Sally chuckled. She glanced up and winked at me before her gaze went back to Percy. "You really love Nico, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Mom. I'll love him forever."

There was no hesitation. No waver in Percy's voice. And, it made me so happy that I could almost cry. My heart pounded against my chest, and my palms grew sweaty. The flying pterodactyls also decided to make their appearance once again.

It made me so happy to hear Percy say that. I mean, sure Percy said it a lot to me, but it could've all been a lie. But now, Percy didn't even know that I was there, yet he still said that he loved me.

It made me smile the biggest I've ever had.

Sally smiled at that as well. "Do you really?"

Percy took his head out of his hands to stare at his mother. "Of course I do! Why wouldn't I? He's so nice and adorable. He's smart, and he always makes me laugh from his sarcasm. He says that he's not great, but I really think he's wrong. He says he doesn't deserve me, but I actually don't deserve him. Whenever he says that he's not great, I always want to prove it to him! I always wanted to make him feel better about himself, and I'll never get tired of him.

"When I first met him, I wanted him to know how special he really was, and I would've done anything just to show him. I guess my feelings just kind of became love, you know? I just," Percy sighed, "I can't explain how much I love him, how much I love Nico di Angelo. I always feel like if I say something wrong, he'll leave me. Whenever we're in bed together, I never want to let him go. Ever. I just wish Nico knew how much I loved him so he wouldn't have any doubts about our relationship. He thinks I'll leave him. He  _literally_  said this morning that everything that makes him happy never lasts. But, I want to prove to him that I'll never leave him, but I just don't know how." Percy ran a hand through his exceptionally soft, black, sea swept hair.

"And his smile, damn how sexy it makes him look. But, he never smiles all that much. He told me that he lost it. His happiness was taken away from him, so he never smiles anymore. But, whenever I see his rare smile, I always feel so... _accomplished_. I  _actually_  got him to feel happy! I want to return his smile back to him. I want him to feel happy again. I never,  _ever_ , want to see him sad ever again. He doesn't deserve to be sad and lonely. He pushes everyone away who tries to be his friend because he's afraid of losing them. I never want him to have doubts about us anymore. But, I don't know how to tell him that."

My breath caught in my throat. My eyes were wide, and I was frozen to the spot. A blush spread across my face once again. Was this how Percy really felt about me?

Sally chuckled. "Well, I think you've already succeeded in telling him all of that."

Percy cocked up an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I silently walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and turned around to face me, and his eyes widened. A blush formed on his face, and I already knew that there was one on my own.

"Do you really feel that way about me?' I asked for clarification, taking a seat on the couch next to him.

"Well. what do you think? I didn't even know you were there," Percy muttered, breaking eye contact with me. I could tell that he was very embarrassed, like me when I had that conversation with Paul in Percy's bedroom.

I placed a hand on Percy's cheek, and I made him look at me. I smiled and said, "You don't know how much I love you, Perseus Jackson."

Percy smiled back, and I almost melted at the sight.

"I love you so, so much, Nico di Angelo."

I didn't know when Sally left the living room, but I remember being alone with Percy when we leaned in and kissed a passionate kiss, desperate to show our love for the other.

When we pulled apart for air, Percy placed a hand on my cheek. His face was flushed, and his lips were slightly bruised from kissing. Man, he looked so fucking hot.

Percy rested his forehead against mine, and I looked up into his stunning sea-green eyes.

"I love you," we both said in unison.


	33. Part 2) Chapter Thirty-Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more I scan through my chapters for stupid mistakes that I make from typing on my phone, the more I get to relive this entire story. What a pleasant throwback.

It was before school on a Monday. And me? Well, naturally, I was fucking tired. In fact, I was usually tired most of the time anyway, so I guess this wasn't much news to you guys.

Percy and I were walking to school hand-and-hand. We didn't talk during our trip to school; we just held hands and walked in a comfortable silence. Sometimes Percy would have to tug on my hand whenever we had to cross the street and I wasn't paying attention, but that was probably the most talking that we ever did. Well, I didn't think that would count as "talking" anyway. Not verbally, at least.

The sky was a dark gray color. Clouds littered the sky, and the air was chilly, like little spikes poking my skin. Even with my black Aviator jacket on, I could still feel the cool wind. Snow blanketed the ground in fluffy mounds, but it wasn't so deep that it would be hard to walk to school. The trees were barren, and the streets weren't very busy since it was so early in the morning, but there were a few cars on the streets here and there.

When we stepped onto the school, Percy glanced at me with a frown on his face.

I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, well," Percy stuttered, completely embarrassed although I didn't know why, "you, uh, remember what we did Saturday night?"

My face turned into a light pink color. "Yeah," I mumbled, slightly lowering my gaze, "what of it?"

"Do you think we should tell them?" Percy questioned.

"Tell wh--" I stopped as my eyes unintentionally widened. Well, shit for probably the third time that week. I totally forgot about them. About Percy's friends.

Should we even tell them? How would they react if we told them that Percy and I made love Saturday night on my birthday, which was  _just_  two days ago? How would they react? How would Silena react? How would  _Annabeth_  react?

God, the thought of telling Annabeth made knots form in my stomach. She was kind enough to let me be with her boyfriend in the first place, and then a week later  _BOOM_! I fucking have  _sex_  with her ex-boyfriend! First I kiss him behind her back, then I steal him away from her, and the next thing we know, I have sex with him! But, at the same time, I didn't want to keep this a secret from her. I didn't want her to hear that I had sex with Percy come out of someone else's mouth. That would be horrible.

Apparently, Percy noticed my extreme discomfort because he squeezed my hand in a comforting manner. "Hey, what are you worrying about? I mean, I know the question I asked is a bit hard to answer, but I think you're just over thinking it. I just need a yes or no answer."

I narrowed my eyes at the snow-covered ground, twisting the silver skull ring that adorned my left index finger--the one that Percy gave me two days ago for my birthday. "I was just thinking..." I trailed off, unable to finish. And, I mentally scolded myself for being weak and not being able to finish.

Percy arched an eyebrow, a curious gaze set on his face. "What were you thinking about?"

My dark brown eyes landed on Percy's gorgeous, but curious, face. "What would Annabeth do if we told her?"

Percy's expression morphed into one of seriousness, along with a bit of guilt.

"Annabeth," he repeated quietly, staring at the ground. There was a moment of silence that floated between us before Percy's eyes drifted back up to me. "Annabeth's a strong person, and I know you know that too. She...hasn't exactly gotten over it yet. but she can handle it. Just, try not to show any pity to her. She'll hate that."

I cracked a smile. "I can understand that. I hate pity too, yet you always kept giving it to me," I said in a teasing tone.

Percy sighed exasperatedly. "Hey, I was trying to be your friend, you know? That was not pity."

"Yeah, yeah," I waved his statements off, "whatever you say."

Percy rolled his eyes and took his hand away from mine, leaving my hand feeling a bit colder than the rest of my body.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me toward him so my chest touched his. "I tried to become your friend, but look what happened. We're both together and happy, right?"

I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling his face down so that it was inches apart from mine. I felt a bit awkward being so close and intimate to Percy in public, but hey, I didn't care anymore. I had Percy with me, and that was all that mattered. If Percy could do this in public, so can I. And anyway, I felt like if I pulled away at that moment, then I would hurt his feelings. And I definitely did  _not_  want that.

"Yeah, I'm happy right now," I answered with one of my smiles that used to be rare when Percy first met me. "Are you?"

Percy returned the smile. "Of course I am. Who wouldn't be?"

I chuckled before Percy's lips pressed up against mine. It was at first a passionate kiss, but then it escalated into a more active kiss. Our lips moved sensually against the other, and it was as if time stopped and the world consisted of only Percy and me.

I let out a breathless moan against Percy's lips, and Percy's hands started to slowly rub my sides. One of my hands found its way into Percy's hair, and I fisted at it, making Percy moan.

Percy's tongue ran along my bottom lip, and before I could allow him entrance, we both heard a voice that made us pull away at the speed of light, our faces tinged with red and our lips slightly bruised from all of the kissing.

"Guys! All we want to do is talk!" was what we heard which made us pull away.

I felt extremely embarrassed about the situation Percy and I were caught up in, and when my eyes flickered over to Percy, I could tell he was embarrassed too.

We looked straight ahead to find Leo and Jason, who were holding back a very eager Silena Beauregard.

I could hear Percy's throat clear as he tried to regain his composure. I decided to do the same, but instead of clearing my throat, I took deep breaths, hoping that my blush would go away and my heart would beat at a slower pace.

Leo sighed, clearly agitated with trying to keep Silena from running over. "Can we let her go now that they know we're here?" he directed at Jason.

Jason shrugged. "I guess so."

Right when I saw then release her, the air in my lungs was knocked right out of me. So much for taking deep breaths.

"Nico! I didn't see you  _all_  weekend! I miss you!" Silena jumped up and down while embracing me before stopping and looking at me at an arms length with a bright smile on her flawless face.

"Uh, yeah, hey," I greeted. I didn't think I would ever get used to Silena's tackle-hugs.

"But wait, Silena you saw him on Friday at his birthday party, didn't you?" Jason pointed out.

Silena nodded, still keeping her face on me as if she was trying to see how much I changed since the last time she saw me, which was three days ago.

"I did," Silena put bluntly. "But it feels like  _forever_!"

"By the way," Percy brought up, "why did you guys have to hold Silena back?" His eyes flickered from Jason to Leo.

"Well," Leo started, "Silena was looking all over the galaxy for you guys, and when we finally found you guys, you were all having this lovey-dovey moment and staring into each other's eyes like a lovesick puppy." This was when Percy and I raised an eyebrow at Leo's interesting explanation.

"Of course," Leo continued, "Silena didn't care. She just wanted to give you," he pointed at me, "one of her football tackles. I mean, seriously! Silena should not be a cheerleader. She should've joined football." Silena punched his arm in a playful manner.

Leo laughed. "I'm serious, Silena! But anyway, back to my point, Jason and I had to hold her back so we wouldn't be absolute cock-blocks! Because friends definitely don't want to be cock-blocks, that'd suck. So, we were holding Silena back for maybe two minutes when you guys starting going at it! We thought you guys would stop in a minute a so, but  _apparently_ , you guys have an infinite amount of air supply in your lungs, because you guys never stopped! School was probably going to start soon, so I stopped you guys so we wouldn't be holding Silena back in vain. And let me tell you, she is a  _chica_   _fuerte_!"

I silently laughed at Leo's amusing explanation. Leo always had a way to make things humorous.

"Nico?"

I raised an eyebrow at the person who caught my attention, which was Silena.

"Yeah?" I asked.

Silena smirked, which was something that I had never seen Silena do before in my life. "What is that on your neck?"

Realization dawned on me as I quickly realized what Silena was talking about, and I tried to suppress the blush that threatened to show itself to the world from my face.

Leo, Jason, and Percy all turned toward me to see what she was talking about. But, it didn't take very long for Percy to realize what it was because his eyes widened and his cheeks turned a light pink color once he turned around and had a glimpse at my neck.

"Damn, Nico!" Leo exclaimed. "Is that a hickey I see?" he feigned ignorance as he slowly turned around to stare at Percy. "I wonder who did that." His voice dripped with heavy sarcasm.

Even Jason couldn't help but smile in amusement. "So, when did this happen? After Nico's birthday party on Friday?"

I sighed exasperatedly, shoving my fists deep into my jean pockets. "I'll tell you guys during lunch so I won't have to repeat this horribly embarrassing explanation."

Jason nodded, a smile still playing on his lips. "Fair enough."

"Dude, Percy! Up top, man!" Leo gave Percy a high-five that sounded  _extremely_  painful. "You finally gave him the  _D_!"

Percy laughed at Leo's statements, but I could only stare in shock. Was Leo always like that, or what it just me?

I rolled my eyes and clenched my teeth. "You guys all suck."

"Actually,  _mi amigo mejor_ ,  _you_  suck," Leo corrected as he tried to contain his laughter. His eyes flickered over to Silena, who was standing in front of me. "Oh, and how could I forget Silena? Silena sucks too, and  _a lot_  of it I suppose. I mean, I've never actually asked Beckendorf, but I guess I could try."

Silena blushed a deep shade of red. "Leo!" she screeched, but all Leo could do was laugh at her reaction as she huffed in exasperation and embarrassment.

I sighed. "I'm just going to go to my locker, okay? I'll see you all at lunch."

"See you later, Nico!" Silena said, the blush on her face disappearing.

"Yeah, see you at lunch! I can't wait to hear your explanation!" Leo laughed as he said, "It better be juicy like Percy's--"

Jason shut Leo's mouth with his hand. "Why can't you just say 'goodbye' to him like a normal person?"

Leo slapped Jason's hand away. "Because I'm bad boy supreme, and bad boys  _never_  follow the rules!"

Jason rolled his eyes. "What weird principles you have," Jason muttered.

I smiled at the sight before turning away and starting off toward my locker until I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders. I glanced up as sure enough, it was Percy Jackson.

Percy smiled. "Mind if I come?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. Come if you want."

Percy chuckled. "Don't mind if I do."

He planted a kiss on the top of my head as we made our way deeper into the school toward my locker.


	34. Part 2) Chapter Thirty-Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a break between January 31st to the beginning of their next school year (September something.....I still need to make the calendar to see. I mean, I can't just say that their school starts on the third when the third is actually a Saturday). To fill in that gap, I will be making events. Just to let you guys know so you won't be very confused. But remember, these events aren't fillers. Something changes along the way, so pay attention! (The events start next chapter.)
> 
> CREDITS TO ZUESKID15 (Wattpad) FOR GIVING ME AN IDEA IN CHAPTER FOURTEEN. THANK YOU!

It was lunch now, and I really hated the fact that the school day went by so fast. I mean, yeah I hate school and all, but I really preferred not having to tell anyone about Percy and me about Saturday night. Why can't I just keep it a secret? I already told Jason, Leo, and Silena that we (I had no idea whether I would do all the talking or Percy) would tell them at lunch.

Maybe I could just avoid them all again. I was starting to consider the idea until I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder. I expected it to be Percy, but it was  _definitely_  not him. What I saw was a goofy grin, curly dark brown hair, and pointed ears that reminded me of an elf's.

"Ready to tell us about your... _interaction_  with Percy?" Leo wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

I rolled my eyes at him as Leo took his arm off my shoulders. Instead, he decided to nudge me in the side with a ridiculous smirk plastered on his face until we reached where Percy's friends were usually located.

Well, I guess I couldn't consider escaping anymore.

When we reached the group, I already hated the situation. Everyone was trying to get Percy to talk about something, which I presumed to be the events that happened Saturday night of my birthday.

Percy looked utterly flustered, but everyone else looked very excited and curious as to what happened the night of my birthday.

"Come on! Tell us!" Miranda pleaded with two hands clapped together in a praying motion.

"Why would--No!" Percy stuttered, which was very rare and out-of-character of him. But, the position that he was in made an exception. I could understand why Percy was so nervous.

"Why not?  _Please_?" Miranda pouted, trembling her lower lip as she pulled out the word "please." She batted her eyelashes, and her head was tilted to the side like a puppy begging for food.

"No! Of course not!" Percy firmly refused.

"You know, I kinda wonder, were you even good at doing... _it_  with Nico?" Katie asked out of the blue.

" _Uh_ , what?" Percy asked with both of his eyebrows raised.

"I mean, all you've ever dated were girls, so how did you miraculously know how to do it with Nico?" Katie questioned again with a bit more detail.

"Maybe he searched it online," Malcolm suggested with a shrug. "Google has pretty much everything."

"Wait, so you're trying to tell me that Percy watched gay porn?" Michael summarized in a very interesting way.

Percy sighed exasperatedly, sliding a hand down his 100% done expression. "I can't even believe you guys right now."

"That's an--er--interesting way of putting it." Jake narrowed his eyes and frowned in disgust at the thought of it.

Silena was comfortably seated between Beckendorf's legs as he shrugged. "I mean, I would look it up. And, asking someone just seems embarrassing. It was probably Nico's first time anyway, and you definitely do not want to ruin someone's first time. Was it even his first time?"

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Nico!' Leo patted me on my back and I stumbled forward, Everyone's eyes suddenly landed on me, and I could help but feel extremely nervous and self-conscious.

Silena's arms were open, hoping for a hug. "Nico! You're finally here! As you can see, we kinda started the conversation without you. I hope you don't mind." Silena gave sheepish smile as her arms slowly lowered.

I rolled my eyes. "I'd rather you start without me."

"But, Nico, we need all the details." Butch smirked.

I sighed exasperatedly as Percy came over and wrapped his strong, muscular arms around my waist. I leaned into the touch, feeling extremely comfortable as my tense shoulders relaxed.

"Do you want to sit down?" Percy's deep chuckle came by my ear.

I shrugged and looked to the side to find Percy's flawless face. "Sure," I plainly replied.

Percy led me to a planter where Jason sat along with Piper. I was planning on sitting next to Percy, but when he sat down, his strong arms pulled me so that I was sitting on his lap. His chin rested on my shoulder as Percy squeezed me comfortingly.

"So, the details, guys?" Piper leaned toward us with a mischievous smile that played along her lips.

I rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time. "Do I even want to explain it to you guys?" I sighed.

"Yes you  _do_ ," Piper said, pulling out the last word.

"I still can't believe you guys did it two nights ago." Hazel sighed.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't fainted yet." Leo looked mildly impressed.

"I know," Hazel agreed with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "I'm surprised I haven't fainted too."

"Okay, guys," Will said, getting us back on track, "we're missing the point here."

Silena giggled. "We are. Nico, Nico, Nico!" She called my name and I glanced at her with an eyebrow raised. "Whose idea was it?"

My eyes widened while Percy decided to hide his face in the crook of my neck.

"I--uh-I'm gonna go find Annabeth," I quickly said before getting off Percy's lap.

Percy stared at me incredulously. "You're not leaving me here with...with  _them_ , are you?"

I smiled sheepishly, pecking a kiss on his lips. "I want to tell Annabeth about it before lunch ends, and she's not here. I'm going to find her, alright?"

Percy sighed with a pout. "Fine. I guess it's better to tell her now than later."

I nodded, my smile disappearing. "See you after school then."

"Yeah."

I turned around to go where I presumed Annabeth to be, but before I could walk off, Percy grabbed my arm and pulled me in a short kiss.

My eyes widened at the sudden action and my breathing hitched, but before I could actually respond, Percy pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, which he seemed to do a lot.

"Don't do anything reckless, okay?" Percy said in a hushed voice with a smile, his hand still on my arm.

I chuckled. "I know. Do you think something's gonna happen?"

Percy shrugged, his grip on my forearm loosening. "I just feel...different without you around with me. I feel like something bad will happen when you're not around me."

I rolled my eyes, "You're too overprotective, Percy," I muttered.

"Hey, it's better to care than not," Percy retorted, but the expression on his face showed that he immediately regretted it.

I looked off to the side, my vision unfocused. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and I opened them to look at Percy's beautiful emerald green eyes.

I put a smile on my face. "Don't worry about me. I'm better now, right? And, it's all because of you."

Percy still looked unconvinced, but he returned the smile anyway. "Thanks, Nico, and sorry for saying that."

I shook my head. "You don't have to be. I know you didn't mean it."

Percy sighed in relief. "Thanks."

"You thank me too much," I remarked. "I should be the one to thank you."

"We're not going to have this argument again, are we?" Percy's tone held a teasing tone. "You need to go find Annabeth, you know."

"Yeah, see you around."

Percy's hand left my arm, leaving the spot where his hand was on my arm cold. "See you later," he said with a smile.

...

I went to the place where I predicted Annabeth to be. It was the place where I went before I knew Percy and Silena and everyone else. It was the place where someone desired to be alone. It was a place where someone wanted peace and quiet.

And, it was the place where someone was alone with only their thoughts.

I arrived at the field and looked around. I didn't know if Annabeth was here or not because I seriously couldn't see anyone. But, I soon heard laughter come from the tree that I used to sit at.

I sneaked over to the tree to see if it was Annabeth or not because I didn't want to disturb them if they  _weren't_ Annabeth. When I was about to peek behind the tree to see who was there, a hand grabbed the collar of my shirt and I was shoved into the tree.

I was momentarily confused, surprised, and shocked all the same. But, it all soon faded when my gaze settled onto blond hair, blue eyes, and a pale scar that started from the bottom of his left eye and went across his cheek.

"Luke," I growled.

"What do you want, huh?" Luke demanded harshly, shoving me into the tree again. "Trying to eavesdrop on me?" His voice became louder with each word he said.

"Luke, stop!" I heard a feminine voice demand.

I raised a curious eyebrow at Luke. He clenched his teeth in frustration and dropped his hand that held me by the collar of my shirt.

When he stepped to the side, my eyes instantly widened for however-many-times it happened. I lost count.

"Annabeth?!" I almost yelled.

"Hey, Nico." She looked completely ashamed, and I automatically felt guilty for almost yelling at her.

I was utterly speechless, so when I tried to form words, they were incoherent.

Annabeth fiddled with her fingers. "I know you must be angry at me for dating Luke."

"What?!" Okay, I admit, I yelled now.

"You have a problem with that?" Luke's cold and hard eyes were set on me. "I thought you didn't care about girls. Thought you were a queer."

"Luke," Annabeth warned, "I thought you said you were a better person now."

Luke visibly gulped, but he soon sighed. "What are you doing here?" His voice was so gentle, I could hardly believe that it was Luke.

"I want to talk to you," I directed at Annabeth, my shoulders relaxing now that I knew Luke wasn't going to attack me.

Annabeth looked mildly surprised "O-okay. Luke, I'll be right back."

He nodded and I led Annabeth a little bit away from Luke so that he wouldn't be able to hear our conversation from where he was standing.

"I'm guessing you're over Percy now that you're with Luke," I surmised.

Annabeth gave a small smile. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm not completely over it, but I'll get better as time goes on."

I shoved my hands into my front jean pockets and I sighed deeply. "I guess that makes telling you this easier."

Annabeth arched an eyebrow "What is it?"

"On Saturday night, Percy and I, we--uh." My cheeks flamed at the mere thought of it.

Annabeth softly laughed. "It was your birthday that day, right? You don't have to explain it."

"You're...not mad?"

Annabeth shook her head with a smile. "Of course not! I'm not in control of your relationship, you know. But, thanks for telling me instead of hiding it from me."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm just really glad that you're smart and  I didn't have to explain the whole thing to you."

Annabeth laughed. "I would love to hear your explanation."

"No thanks!" I quickly denied.

Annabeth sighed contently. "So, I guess you're happy now, huh?"

I nodded once again. "Yeah, are you?"

Annabeth nodded with a bright smile. "I'm glad we're both happy and it's all settled."

I smiled, which Annabeth seemed to take a notice of. "Yeah, it's such a relief."

The bell rang to signal the end of lunch. I bid my farewells to Annabeth as I made my way to my next class.

I was glad that both of us were finally happy.


	35. Event One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Event One: Their Second Trip to the Ice Cream Store (even if it's Winter)  
> Date: January 31st  
> From: Loving Healer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a break between January 31st and September…whatever date Percy and Nico start school again. Between those dates, I will be making events so I won't have to do a super time skip from January to September.
> 
> The events are supposed to be filled with Percico fluff, just saying. But, that doesn't mean that something will happen. Something changes, so keep your eyes peeled, guys!
> 
> Also, I don't own Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurants.

"Hey, Nico! Percy!"

Percy and I stopped in our tracks and glanced behind our shoulders. We were just about to set foot off campus and start to head home, but a certain voice told us otherwise.

Silena came running up to us, her hair flowing in the wind like a cape. She waved at us and smiled brightly, and she was probably just super happy because Monday was finally over. Well, I was happy because the school day on Monday was over. Mondays suck.

She finally caught up to us, and her breathing became ragged due to all of the running, but other than that, she looked and sounded perfectly fine.

"Do you guys wanna hang out right now?" Silena asked with her head slightly tilted to the side.

Percy and I exchanged glances before Percy shrugged. "Whatever you want. I don't have a whole lot of homework today."

Silena's eyes flickered over to me, waiting for me to say something.

"Homework isn't such a big deal to me, I can finish it later," I said.

Silena's grin widened so that it seemed to be about half of her face. "Great! Because I already know where I want to go! Are you guys okay with me picking the place, or do you guys have a place in mind?"

I shook my head. "Not really, what about you, Percy?"

He shook his head either. "Nah, I don't really care where we go."

"Yes! Okay, you guys walk to school, right?" Silena asked for confirmation.

"Yeah," Percy simply replied, suddenly replied, wrapping an arm around my waist. I gaze landed on Percy, but he seemed to be staring somewhere past Silena with a cold expression.

"Percy?" I attempted to get his attention.

Percy looked alarmed before he glanced at me, regaining his composure. "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Percy looked thoroughly confused, but I could tell he was lying. I was pretty sure that cold expression I saw just saw on Percy's face wasn't an imagination of mine because I had never actually seen him look so mean. And, after all, you can't lie to the king of all lies.

"Just wondering," I muttered, deciding on not pushing the subject.

Apparently, Silena saw that expression too because when I glanced at her to continue our conversation, she was scanning the area behind, most likely looking for whatever causes Percy's cold expression.

She sighed and turned back around, placing a smile upon her lipstick-covered lips. "Okay, so you guys don't care where we go?"

Percy and I shook our heads.

"Okay, and since you guys walk to school, we don't have to worry about having two cars since the only one that has a car nearby is me. So, let's go to my car!"

* * *

When we all settled into Silena's white Mercedes-Silena was driving while Percy sat in the back and I sat in the passenger seat-she locked the car doors and started up the engine before putting the stick shift on Reverse and backing out of the parking lot.

My backpack was thrown somewhere into the trunk along with Percy's backpack and Silena's tan bag that had a bunch of cities stated on the front.

Silena drove us along for a few minutes while I was staring at nothing in particular, though it looked like I was staring out the window because my head was turned that way. I wasn't thinking of anything, but I wasn't exactly focusing on anything either.

By the time I focused back on reality, Silena just finished parking into a different parking spot. I looked to my left outside of Silena's window to see a huge building, which I presumed to be a mall.

Silena unlocked the car doors and stepped outside. I did the same, and so did Percy.

The air was a bit chilly outside, and it was slightly snowing, but it wasn't so heavy that we had to stay inside and so nothing.

I hugged myself to warm my body up since I was about as freezing as the Arctic, but warm arms enveloped me from behind as a body was pressed up against my own. I leaned into the embrace and looked up to see my boyfriend smiling down at me as we followed Silena into the shopping center. I would still never get used to calling Percy Jackson my boyfriend, no matter how many times I said it or thought it.

The doors automatically slid to the side for us as we stepped into the warm building. There were a few people here and there, but there weren't as many people I expected there to be. Probably because the Christmas and New Year's sales were over, it was snowing outside, and probably because no one had to buy presents for Christmas anymore. Christmas was a month ago, so most kids were probably enjoying their presents.

Oh, how much I would do to become a little kid again.

I was scanning the mall as we walked. It was a different mall than the last one that we went to before Percy and I started dating, and it wasn't actually that long ago, but I started to feel nostalgic. Percy, Silena, and I were at the mall again, and if I would bring more memories into it, then the first place that we would go to was an ice cream store.

Of course, I spoke a little too soon.

Silena stopped in her tracks, and when Percy and I stopped beside her, I glanced up at the store name:  _Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurants_.

"Are you  _serious_ , Silena?" Apparently, Percy was thinking the same thing I was when I saw the store name. "It's fucking snowing!"

"Is it a blizzard-type of snowing?" Silena asked a rhetorical question. "No! So I can eat ice cream! And, today's the day!"

"The day for what?" I ventured.

"The day I finally make you eat ice cream!" Silena declared proudly. "Because you refused to eat ice cream the  _last_  time we went to the mall!"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't really like sweets, okay?"

"But, you like Percy," Silena retorted.

Percy was probably as confused as I was now that he was brought into the conversation.

I narrowed my eyes. "What does Percy have to do with me not liking sweets?"

"Percy's sweet right?" Silena answered with a question.

My eyes were still narrow until I realized that Silena meant that Percy was sweet as in  _personality_.

"I just-I can't believe you, Silena." I sighed.

Silena giggled. "But, it's true! You like Percy even though you say you don't like sweets. But, Percy's sweet!"

Percy's eyebrows were furrowed. "I still don't get it."

I rolled my eyes as I glanced up at him. "She means that you're sweet as in  _personality_ , not  _taste_."

" _Oh_ ," Percy drawled like a person in class who finally understood a math problem after numerous attempts.

I sighed exasperatedly. "Let's just go inside and get Silena's ice cream."

"Hey, it's not just my ice cream!" Silena objected. "You'll be eating some too!"

"No, I won't!" I retorted.

"Yes, you will!"

"No, I won't!"

"Yes, you will!"

"Can we just go in and sit down?" Percy cut in. "You guys can continue your argument once I sit down. My feet are starting to hurt from standing too long."

I glanced up at him, who was still hugging me from behind. "Already?"

"Hey, I'm getting old, okay?" Percy slightly laughed, and I had to smile at Percy's gorgeous smiling face.

When we went inside, the cashier thought that we were crazy for getting ice cream when it was snowing, but Silena ordered for ice cream anyway. She ordered Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and French Vanilla.

When she paid for everything she ordered and received her order a few minutes later, we sat down in a booth.

I stared at her in amusement from across the table as she wolfed down the Cookie Dough and Cookies and Cream. Wasn't she at least a  _little_  cold?! I still needed Percy to hug me to be able to keep warm. Which was why I sat on his lap opposite of Silena, while Percy's arms were wrapped our my waist and his chin settled on one of my shoulders.

I didn't even realize that she had two spoons with her because she stabbed the second spoon into the chocolate one and pushed the French Vanilla and the Chocolate flavors in front of me.

I stared at her with my eyes narrowed. "I told you already, I'm not eating ice cream."

Silena nodded, pushing the bowls full of ice cream closer to me. "Yes you are," Silena stubbornly said.

"No, I'm not," I refused.

"Yes, you are!" Silena retorted.

"You know," Percy cut in again, "Silena paid for these. If you don't eat them, then you'll be wasting her money."

"Aren't you supposed to be on  _my_  side?" I whined uncharacteristically.

Percy chuckled. "Well, yeah, since I'm your boyfriend and all." My stomach started doing somersaults when he called me that.

"But, then again, I want to see you actually eat something that was sweet," Percy finished.

I rolled my eyes and took the spoon into my dominant hand. "Fine, maybe I will eat some."

I felt extremely self-conscious since there were two people staring at me as I took the first spoonful into my mouth. But them again, Percy and I watched Silena as she ate the Cookie Sough and the Cookies and Cream. But, then again, again, we weren't watching her as intently as how Percy and Silena watched me.

Silena's eyes seemed to bulge out of their eye sockets as I swallowed the ice cream. I wouldn't admit out loud, but that was actually pretty good, even if I was freezing to death.

I started to eat more and more, and I didn't even realize that the bowl was empty until I dipped my white, plastic spoon into the bowl and pulled it out, only to find it empty.

I dropped the spoon with a sigh, leaning into Percy's embrace.

Silena giggled, a bright and content smile on her face. "I actually made you eat ice cream!" Silena announced triumphantly. "I almost can't believe it!"

"Yeah, me neither," Percy agreed with a chuckle. "I mean, who knew you had such a sweet tooth?"

I shrugged. "I didn't even know that I liked sweets so much. But then again, I am dating you."

Percy quietly laughed. "True enough, I suppose."

Silena stood up and threw our bowls away. She came back with a new spoon, and she picked up the French Vanilla bowl and handed it to Percy as we got out of the booth."

"Eat," she demanded.

Percy smiled. "Alright, alright." He took the bowl and began eating while Silena excused herself to go to the bathroom.

He glanced at me and raised a spoonful of French Vanilla ice cream at me.

"I know you want some," he said in a taunting manner.

I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth, allowing Percy to feed me the ice cream. When I moved away, I could see Percy in a trance as he stared at me.

It took me few seconds to realize what he was so focused on, so to make fun of him even more, I slowly swiped my tongue along my lips, arising a blush to form on Percy's cheeks as he glanced away with gritted teeth.

I laughed. "Percy, I can't believe you were staring at the inside of my mouth while you fed me!"

Percy turned a deeper shade of red. "I can't help it, can I? I mean, you are my boyfriend."

Percy caught me off guard once again by calling me his "boyfriend." I blushed and averted my gaze, and in the corner of my eyes, I could see a smirk form along Percy's lips.

"Yes, Nico," he said as if he was talking to a first grader, "I'm your  _boyfriend_."

"I fucking hate you, Percy," I grumbled, shoving my hands into my jean pockets.

Percy threw the French Vanilla bowl away, and he slipped his arms between my sides and my arms. "I love you too."

His warm lips pressed up against mine, warming me up a whole lot, so it seemed as if I didn't even eat cold ice cream. I kissed him back, and I heard an " _Aw_ " come from the direction of the cash register and the cashier.

I didn't want the kiss to stop, but we had to eventually pull away for air since we didn't have an infinite amount of air in my lungs, but Leo seemed to disagree with that.

We stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes, emerald green meeting dark, dark brown. But, the door to the bathroom soon opened and Silena stepped out.

We turned to her and Percy's arms left me. Instead, he let them dangle around my neck.

Silena smiled warmly at us before saying, "So, who's ready for window shopping!"


	36. Event Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Event Two: Mr. I-Was-Born-to-Skate  
> Date: Saturday, February 5th & Sunday, February 6th  
> From: RiverofEsme (Wattpad)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Black Ops 2 and the multiplayer online game Team Deathmatch are real. Everything that I described about the game is real. The guns names (Remmington and MK-48) are real and the colors of the gun (golden and skull) are real. The places "Raid," "Hijacked," and "Aftermath" are all real places within the game Team Deathmatch. ("Raid" is my favorite place okay I'm sorry let's get onto the event.)

"Hey, Nico, you want to go on a date tomorrow?"

We were in the middle of playing  _Black Ops 2, Team Deathmatch,_  for the PlayStation 3. The round just ended, and our screen showed the score everyone got on the right, and what place we would want to go next for the next round on the left, along with customizing your gun.

I was sitting on his couch in the living room next to Percy, while he was miraculously getting points in the 2600's and he was literally sitting on the couch upside down. I mean, seriously, doesn't he ever get light-headed?

I raised an eyebrow at him as I clicked on the place named "Raid. " That was one of the only places where I could totally get up to twenty kills. I mean, who wanted to go to Aftermath? I hated that place.

"A date?" I repeated.

"Yeah," Percy replied, clicking on his class and changing the color of his Remmington golden. "I can't believe I finally got the golden skin! I mean, who knew I could get 150 kills without attachments or perks?"

I rolled my eyes. "No one cares, Percy."

"I care! You know how long it took me to get all the skins for my gun?"

"A week," I answered. "Percy, it took you a  _week_. You got 200 headshots, 10 bloodthirsty medals, 20 double kill medals, 20 longshot medals, and 150 kills without perks or attachments in a  _week_."

"It was not a week," Percy objected.

"It was totally a week, Percy "

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Maybe you didn't get them all because you have the MK-48," Percy changed the subject with a shrug, finally taking a seat on the couch like a normal person. "Reloading takes  _forever_ with the MK-48!"

"Not really," I objected. "It's because I usually hide when I need to reload. And for your information, I don't have all the skins for my gun because I don't feel like getting 150 kills without perks or attachments. I have everything else, but I'd rather stay with my skull skin."

"But the golden one is cooler," Percy retorted in a teasing manner.

I rolled my eyes. "Does it even matter? No one's going to see it anyway except for you and me."

Percy turned to me. "The other people that you kill will see it on the kill cam!"

"No one watches those, Percy."

"Then what about the final kill cam? You're forced to watch the final kill."

I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Percy, what were you saying about that date?"

"Oh, so  _now_  you're trying to change the subject, huh?" Percy sassily said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes once again. "Just tell me about it. What do you even plan on doing?"

The next round started, and we were going to Raid. The split screen popped up with the classes on the left side. But, we didn't pick any of the classes. We left it there as Percy's eyes flickered from the screen and back to me.

"Have you ever been ice-skating before?" Percy asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, I never have," I simply answered, arising a smile to Percy's addicting lips.

"Then, that's our date!" Percy exclaimed as the screen showed a person running into the battlefield from a garage of cars. "I want to teach you how to ice skate. Do you want to go with me?"

I shrugged. "Why not? I mean, I'll probably suck at it, but whatever. The fun is what counts, I guess."

Percy's grin became wider. "I'm so excited for this."

I sighed. "You're excited to see me fail and fall onto ice multiple times?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "'Course not. I'm just happy we get to do something together again."

"We're doing something together right now." I gestured with the hand holding the PlayStation remote at the screen that showed  _Black Ops 2_.

Percy chuckled. "I met something special together. And, I'm pretty sure playing  _Team Deathmatch_  isn't on that list of being  _special_."

"Maybe it is for me," I said, leaning back into the couch as we got kicked out of the game because we didn't pick our class.

Percy sighed, leaning back into the couch as well. "Well, it isn't for me. You wanna start playing again?" He glanced at the screen.

"Percy, we just got kicked out."

"So?" he said, getting his remote ready and clicking the button at the top left corner that said, "Find Match." He soon clicked "Core" and then "Team Deathmatch."

I rolled my eyes, getting my remote ready too. "We're just joining another one, aren't we?"

"Yep." Percy laughed as we got joined into a round at "Hijacked."

* * *

The next day, on Sunday, Percy drove us to a nearby ice rink. I had no idea how cold it was when you were on an ice rink since I had never been to one before. So, I just wore my regular clothes-black, of course-and my Aviator jacket, along with black mittens that Percy seemed to coincidentally have.

When we got there, there were a lot of people, and it definitely didn't make me feel any less uncomfortable because I had a feeling that when I would trip and fall, I would take some random stranger down with me.

We got our skates, and we stepped next to the ice rink so we could put on the skates and start skating. Well, in my case, I would start falling.

Percy stepped onto the ice rink. Of course, he was already a natural. As for me, well, not so much.

"When did you start learning to skate?" I decided to ask him as I sat on a nearby bench, attempting to put on my skates."You stand on the ice like your standing on regular ground with sneakers on."

Percy chuckled. "Really?"

I scoffed. "Uh, yeah, do you not see yourself standing like the professional you are?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "I'm not a  _professional_. That's taking it too far."

"Do you not see yourself standing there like you do it every second of the day?!" I gesticulated wildly with both hands once I finally got my skates to fit onto my feet.

Percy shrugged. "Not really. I thought this was normal."

"What. I don't even-how?!" I stuttered. "How do you call balancing on that  _normal_?!"

"You won't know unless you try." Percy held a hand out to me. "Come on."

"I feel like you're gonna make fun of me," I murmured and Percy rolled his eyes.

"I'm not, I promise," he said as he pulled me up from my seat on the bench.

I stumbled, and Percy led me out farther on the ice rink.

"Just slide your feet; don't try to walk," Percy advised.

I did as he told me, and I was starting to get the hang of it.

"Hey, let go of my hand," I commanded.

"Are you sure? You tried doing this for about ten seconds," Percy questioned for reassurance.

I nodded. "Yeah, I got it," I said confidently.

Percy looked a bit hesitant still, but he let go of my hand. I slid along the ice smoothly, as if I had already gone ice skating before.

Percy stopped and stared at me, completely astounded. I risked to make a spin, and I actually didn't fall. I was pretty surprised myself, and so was Percy.

"How did you...what..." Percy couldn't even find the right words to say.

I laughed, gliding around Percy in perfect strides. "I never knew how alive I could feel in an ice rink that has glass walls all around it with only two entrances."

Percy rolled his eyes, but a smile sat upon his flawless face. "You are so sarcastic, aren't you?"

I chuckled. I couldn't stop smiling, which was very unnatural of me. "Aren't I always?"

"I guess," Percy agreed.

We skated around the ice rink a bit more, trying not to bump into the people that were new at ice skating-and you could tell who those people were. Well, I didn't know if people could tell if  _I_  was new at ice skating.

We soon stopped to catch a breath of air, and Percy glanced up at me with a smile.

"Were you born to skate or what? The only person falling here is me," Percy stated.

I smirked. "Maybe I was born to skate. Maybe it's my calling."

Percy laughed. "Your  _calling?_  Okay, Nico, okay."

I slightly laughed. "Are we just gonna stand here like idiots, or are we gonna skate?"

Percy smiled. "We're gonna  _skate_ , that's what, Mr. I-was-born-to-skate."

I rolled my eyes at the stupid, yet straightforward, nickname. Percy laughed at my reaction and wrapped his arms around my waist. He pulled me along the ice just like that. And me?

Well, I had no idea what to do after that. I mean, I just couldn't struggle out of Percy's grip, could I? I'd just fall flat on my face. And I surely didn't want that.

Percy kissed me on the cheek with a smile, and he unwrapped himself from me, leaving me colder than before now that Percy's body warmth was gone.

He took my hand and we skated around for what felt like an eternity. A  _nice_ eternity might I add.


	37. Event Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Event Three: Sick Nico is Not a Happy Nico  
> Date: Saturday, February 19th to Wednesday, February 23rd  
> From: Secretly_a_Fandom (Wattpad)

**Day One-Saturday, February 19th**

* * *

I woke up in Percy's bed, and for a second, I thought I was alone. I was freezing, and I thought black clothing was supposed to make you warm! Apparently not, since I felt like I was lying naked in the snow of Antarctica.

Percy was apparently there next to me, but I couldn't even tell. I glanced at Percy's peaceful face as he slept next to me (I promise you, we were clothed.) His tanned arm was draped along my body, and I could feel his warmth, but for some reason, it wasn't enough.

The thick, blue blanket was also on me, but I still felt a bit cold.

I sat up, and Percy's arm fell down to my waist because of gravity. I sneezed, and Percy started to stir. Oops.

I glanced at Percy as he yawned and his eyes fluttered open to reveal emerald green that I fell in love with at first sight.

"Uh, sorry," I said before actually greeting him like what most couples did.

Percy shook his head, becoming more awake. "It's fine. Bless you, by the way."

I rolled my eyes. "Whate-Fuck!"

Percy smirked, his hand placed on my crotch.

"What exactly were you gonna say?" Percy asked with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"I-fucking-h-God damn it, Percy!" I moan as I slapped his hand away from my lower regions.

He sat up and pecked me on the lips. "Love you too, Nico."

I sneezed again and Percy giggled.  _Percy giggled_. I wish I could hear it again. That was like...Man, I should've recorded it.

"Sneeze again!" Percy pleaded.

" _What_?" I incredulously repeated.

Percy leaned toward me so that his lips touched my ear. His voice was low and deep, which, to be honest, made me turned on. Percy noticed, and he smirked."Your sneeze was so fucking cute."

I bit my lip as Percy's hand rested on my crotch. "Per-"

I was interrupted by a cough that came from my own mouth.

Percy immediately went from seductive to concerned, and I had no idea how that was actually possible. He patted my back until I stopped coughing.

"Th-thanks," I managed, my throat suddenly feeling dry.

"Nico, you might be sick, " Percy pointed the obvious.

"No shit." I coughed again.

"Let's go get you some water and some medicine, alright?" Worry flashed through his eyes.

"Okay," I said weakly as Percy helped me up from the bed.

* * *

**Day Two-Sunday, February 20th**

* * *

"Percy, I feel fucking horrible." I coughed, shaking in my bed. I refused to lay in Percy's bed since I was sick, so Percy moved me to my room. It felt like I hadn't laid in my bed in forever since I slept with Percy in his bed at night.

"You'll be fine, Nico," Percy reassured me as he sat next to my bed.

"You know, you can go and do something else instead of trying to nurse me back to health. I mean, you can always ask your mom to help me." My heart clenched at the thought of Percy leaving me, even if he wasn't permanently leaving. I never wanted anyone to leave me again.

Percy attempted to kiss me, but I pushed him away. "Percy, I'm sick," I stated a bit too harshly, but I felt too horrible to care.

I felt like I was going to cry when I saw how horrible and guilty Percy looked. I never wanted to see that expression on Percy ever again.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Percy asked, trying to hide how sad he looked.

I sighed, attempting to stop myself from coughing. "You can stay if you want." I sounded like I was extremely tired of the conversation.

Percy visibly gulped, and he looked worried about something, but I couldn't figure out why. His eyes flickered back and forth, but he wouldn't make eye contact with me.

"Well?" I demanded his answer.

"I'm just...gonna go downstairs, okay?" Percy looked extremely uncomfortable, yet guilty. But, I still couldn't figure out why.

"Whatever." I coughed. I turned around in my bed and faced the wall, before drifting into a deep sleep.

And I didn't think I ever heard Percy leave.

* * *

**Day Three-Monday, February 21st**

* * *

Five words: I was tired as Hell. All I wanted to do was sleep and ignore the rest of the world. I didn't see Percy all day, and it made me depressed.

I want to see his face again.

He hadn't checked up on me all day, and he hadn't even bothered to even knock on the door and say something to me.

It was as if Percy actually left me.

Maybe he got tired of dealing with me? I mean, first, he had to get me to become my happy, normal self again instead of some depressed and dark person who glared at everyone who came his way. Now, he has to deal with my own sickness.

Maybe, maybe he was just done with me.

I shook my head and I bit my lip to suppress a scream, or maybe a sob. I didn't know anymore. Not without Percy.

Not without the person who returned my smile back to me.

I closed my eyes to get rid of my stupid thoughts, but when I started to fall asleep, my only thoughts were about Percy laughing at something his girlfriend had told him.

* * *

**Day Four-Tuesday, February 22nd**

I missed Percy. I couldn't take it anymore. Where was he?

I mean, yeah Percy had school to attend. But, couldn't he at least drop by to see me after he was done with school? He didn't do that yesterday, unfortunately.

Sally occasionally came in to feed me medicine and give me food to eat, but I hadn't seen Percy in two days. I hadn't even heard his voice in two days.

I was beginning to feel better, but I regretted telling Percy to go away. My physical health was getting better, but my heart wasn't. My heart was becoming worse.

Where was Percy where I needed him? Was this his way of saying that he was breaking up with me? Was that was he was trying to say to me?

I couldn't resist the tear that dripped down my face and onto my pillow as I stared at the ceiling, lost in my own thoughts.

Did Percy not love me anymore?

* * *

**Day Five-Wednesday, February 23rd**

* * *

I was feeling a lot better now, thanks to Sally's treatment. My coughing ceased, and I didn't sneeze as often anymore. My throat still felt a little dry, and I was still pretty tired. But, that was it.

I didn't expect Percy to come in anymore. My thoughts were in jumbles over Percy's feelings. Since I was feeling better, maybe I should just go and confront him about it

The problem was, I was too scared to talk to him about it.

I mean, what if he already found someone else to spend his time with? There were plenty of people that were better than me. Actually,  _everyone_  in the  _world_  was better than me. I could understand why he didn't want to see me anymore. Instead, he would want to see someone that was actually worth his time.

I sighed. I decided to just go and talk to him about it instead of mourning over it with every second of my life whenever I was awake. Lately, the only thing that I had on my mind was Percy leaving me. And, I didn't want that. I  _never_ wanted  _anyone_ to leave me ever again.

A voice seemed to whisper to me,  _Everything that makes you happy will always leave._

I furiously shook my head, tears now lining my face. Why did I always cry so easily? I hated it. I hated this feeling. I thought I had abandoned it ever since Percy came into my life. But, apparently, it was hiding, deep in my heart.

I swung my legs over the bedside, wiping the tears away with my arm. I was about to stand up when I heard the door open. I was guessing it was Sally with more medicine and food, but when I looked up, Percy stood there instead.

It broke me to see Percy look so uncomfortable around me as if he wanted to leave the room as quickly as possible. Where was his comforting smile when I really needed it?

I took deep breaths to calm myself. When did I ever feel nervous around Percy? It was only when he became extremely close to me before we started dating. So, why was my heart beating so furiously?

He closed the door behind him, and he leaned against the door, not wanting to come near me any more than he already was.

"My mom...she told me that you were feeling better and that I should go and see you." His eyes were glued to the floor.

I looked away from him, feeling too guilty to see him look so uncomfortable. "Y-yeah, I am," I stuttered.

Percy's head shot up from the sound of me stuttering since I never stuttered. His eyes widened when he saw my face, and the next thing I knew, he was in front of me.

"Nico, were you...crying?" Percy seemed a bit hesitant to touch me and turn my head to face him, but he did it anyway. His eyes roamed along my face, and he didn't forget about my tense shoulders.

"Percy?" My voice was weak from not saying anything in so long.

"Yeah?" Percy answered.

I decided to get straight to the point. "Do you...do you love me?"

Percy's eyes widened in surprise. "Of course I do, Nico," he said without hesitation.

"Then, why haven't you seen me?" I was on the verge of crying again, but I attempted to hold it in.

"I just thought," Percy averted his gaze, "that you wanted to stay away from me. That you didn't...love me anymore."

It was my turn for my eyes to widen. "What?" I breathlessly asked.

Percy's eyes finally met mine. "You told me to stay away from you, so I just thought that you didn't like me anymore..." Percy trailed off.

I placed both of my hands on his cheek and crashed my lips against his.

Percy was left in a state of shock, but he soon kissed back, desperate to be with me once again.

We pulled back for air, and I rested my forehead against Percy's.

"I will never stop loving you, Percy Jackson." I offered a small smile to him.

Percy immediately returned the smile. "I will never stop loving you either, Nico di Angelo."


	38. Event Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Event Four: Clarisse la Rue Pays Nico a Visit  
> Date: Tuesday, March 14  
> From: Death's Cry (Fanfiction.net)

I was at school that it happened. Damn, I thought they stopped, but apparently, they thought otherwise.

 _They_ were the ones that made me late to class.  _They_ were the ones that isolated me from everyone else.  _They_ were the ones that made me suffer again.

I thought it was all over, but apparently not.

I still wasn't used to the insults. To the disgusted looks on their faces. I always told myself to keep it together and maintain a straight face-an emotionless face.

But, making friends had many me soft. They made me soft to the core. Before, I was cold. I was mean. I didn't even consider myself of having a heart. I was full of  _malice._  But now? Now, it was different.

I don't know  _when_ I had exactly changed, but I did. I could go through all of the events in my life from when I met Percy, and I still wouldn't be able to identify when I had exactly changed.

I felt bad for people. Before, I never did. I never cared about how people felt. I could snap at them and tell them to get away from me, and I never felt a hint of guilt. Never had I felt any.

Should I hate myself for changing so much? I didn't know if my change was for the better, or for the worse.

Now, I knew it was for the worse.

The bell rang to signal the start of class. Percy kissed me goodbye as he went off to his calculus class.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and made my way over to my biology class. But, I didn't quite make it there. And, from the way I was pushed into a locker, I knew that I would probably not get to biology anytime soon.

"Did you know that Luke became a softy?" A harsh voice whispered into my ear. "Hm, I wonder who's fault  _that_ was," she hissed into my ear.

I craned my neck as much as I could to see the horrifying face of Clarisse la Rue.

" _Hm_ , no sassy remarks today, eh? What's gotten into you, little rainbow?" Her hand around my neck tightened as I tried to desperately release, or at least loosen, her grip.

"Not even gonna try to fight back?" She snickered. "This is gonna be  _fun_."

She threw me onto the ground and I gasped from the impact. My back began to ache, and if I tried to get up, I would wince.

Why couldn't I fight back like I used to? Why couldn't I talk back like I used to?

Wouldn't I always try to make them mad? To make them angry? Why didn't I do it this time?

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Why?

What changed?

When did I change?

How did I change?

Clarisse towered over me, an evil smirk on her hideous face.

She stomped on my chest, and I coughed. It was like deja vu, except instead of Luke, it was Clarisse.

"You've got nothing to say now, huh?" She taunted me as she wiped her feet on me as if there was gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe. "Now that you've got a  _popular_  boyfriend and  _popular_  friends, you think that means your life is  _perfect_!"

She scowled at me. "Well, little rainbow, I'm about to show you that life  _ain't_  perfect.

Her foot collided with my jaw, and my head was hit up so that I was staring at a wall behind me upside down.

She straddled me and lifted me up by the collar of my shirt. Her face seemed to have held a permanent scowl.

Her glare bore deep through me, but I couldn't muster the strength to glare back. Why? The aching pain that I felt would have been less if I could at least fight back.

But, why didn't I? Why  _couldn't_ I?

She punched me in the face, sending my head flying to the right. She punched me again in the opposite direction, resulting in a bleeding nose.

Clarisse shoved me down onto my chest, my head harshly hitting the ground before all went black.

The last thing I saw was Clarisse being knocked off my body by somebody.

* * *

I woke up in a room that I recognized all too well. The walls were white. On one table to my left were many different kinds of supplies that treated wounds. To my right was a door. That bed was  _extremely_  comfortable as well.

My vision fully focused and I scanned the area until I found a person with a head full of blonde hair.

He glanced at smiled at me. "I see you're finally awake."

"Wh-who brought me here?" My voice cracked and it sounded hoarse as if I hadn't talked in years.

Apollo glanced at the sky, his pen tapping his chin as he tried to recall the memory. He soon looked down at me and smiled.

"Percy, Jason, Leo, and Silena," he listed them out. "Although...Percy did seem a bit injured when he brought you here."

Apparently, my expression mirrored one that was worried, so Apollo quickly added, "Of course, I treated his wounds so he should be fine."

I sighed in relief, but it hurt. I winced in pain, and Apollo seemed to have noticed.

"Forgot to mention," he muttered, "you're not fully recovered yet, but your injuries aren't serious enough to send you to the hospital. You have a few bruises and your nose was recently bleeding, but otherwise, I think you'll be fine. The medicine I fed to you really helped. It's called ambrosia if you were wondering. You should try it sometime whenever you're in pain."

I slowly nodded while Apollo continued.

"You just need to heal a bit, so lay off of active activities. I wrote you a note that you can give to your PE teacher, saying that you need to heal so you won't have to participate in that class. Maybe it'll just be a study hall for you that period then?" Apollo shrugged, then leaned against the counter that was located behind him. "The point is, get some rest, okay?" You still might be a little sore, so walking might hurt a bit. Can you bear with it?"

I nodded once more. If I've lived through walking around school from my father's injuries, then walking around with only a few bruises and feeling sore was nothing.

Apollo smiled brightly at me. "That's good. Do you want me to inform your dad?"

"My father's dead," I mumbled bitterly.

Apollo's eyes widened, but he quickly regained his composure. "Well, that's...quite a surprise. I'm sorry about that."

I shook my dark brown hair side to side. "It's fine."

Apollo nodded apologetically. Get it?  _Apollo_ getically.

"What time...is it?" I struggled to ask.

Apollo glanced at the wall, where I assumed a clock hung. "12:45," he replied. "It's lunch right now. So, I'm pretty sure your friends are waiting outside. You were out for awhile."

Apollo walked over to the door, placing his hand upon the doorknob. "I'll just check and see if they're there, alright? Would you like for them to come in?"

I nodded since it was too hard to actually form coherent words.

Apollo swung open the door, and he seemed to be having a conversation with someone out there. After a short while, he stepped to the side and allowed the people on the other side of the door entrance.

The first to walk in was Percy. He looked extremely nervous and worried about me, and I just wanted to rip that expression off of his flawless face and replace it with his usual cheerful expression.

Following Percy came Silena, Jason, and then Leo.

Once they all entered, Apollo quietly shut the door and made his way over to the counter that he previously leaned against.

"Are you okay?" Silena broke the silence, concern evident in her voice.

I nodded. "It's kind of...hard to-to talk," I rasped out.

Percy approached me, resting his hand on my cheek. "Don't talk if it hurts, okay?"

I nodded, but a question formed into my head that I had to ask. "Are you...okay?"

Percy raised an eyebrow in confusion, but he soon smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I forgot something in my locker and the teacher allowed me to go get it with Leo. When we found you, Clarisse was beating you up so...mercilessly." Percy's teeth were clenched and his other hand was shaking, forming a fist.

"Dude, are you sure you're alright? Clarisse did beat you pretty hard." Leo said.

I nodded for the billionth time.

Leo smiled, showing bright teeth. "That's good. We'll be here  _all_ lunch to comfort ya!"

He threw his hands behind his head and he leaned against the wall behind him.

I smiled in amusement, and Percy leaned down to kiss my forehead, surprising me.

"I won't let anyone ever hurt you.  _Ever_ , got it?" Percy stated firmly, his forehead resting against my own.

My smile turned into one of sincere, wrapping my arms around Percy's neck and kissing him passionately on the lips. Percy smiled back, kissing me back just as passionately. I didn't even care that Jason, Leo, and Silena were there.

He pulled back after a few moments. "I love you, Nico."

I nodded, struggling to say words through all the pain. "Love you too, Percy."

Percy chuckled at my attempt. "You are  _so_ cute, Nico."


	39. Event Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: "I'm not Hungry!"  
> Date: Sunday, April 23  
> From: Crazy_Fangirls4ever (Wattpad)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The places "Yemen" and "Standoff" are real places within the game Black Ops 2: Team Deathmatch. Pressing the square button to respawn (come back into the game after dying) is also real. The small description of "Standoff" is real in the game.

Was it me, or did April seem like a very rainy month? Apparently, it was Percy's favorite month. I found out that he had this unusual obsession with water, saying that it was from his father or something like that.

I was inside on the couch in the living room, playing more  _Black Ops 2_ because what is there to do on a cold, rainy day? I already finished my homework, so I planned to spend the day on Percy's comfortable couch like I did yesterday.

I had no clue where Percy was; when I woke up he wasn't in his bed. I tried to call him but he never picked up. Usually, I would be freaking out, but would Percy really run away from home?

To be honest, I really was a bit worried as to Percy's whereabouts. I would've gone and looked for him, but where would I even start?

I sighed at the same time I got sniped in the video game and the kill cam popped up onto my screen. Seriously? God, I hated this place. Fuck "Yemen."

I was about to click the square button on my PS3 remote to come back into the game when I heard the door unlock.

My head shot up and I almost tackled him to the ground.

"Percy!" I exclaimed a bit too loudly.

Percy chuckled and collapsed on the couch. I immediately moved away to the opposite side.

"Percy, you're fucking wet," I firmly stated with a glare.

Percy glanced at me seductively. "I know who's gonna be wet after I-"

"Percy!" I kicked my feet at him as he laughed, a huge blush across my face.

I cleared my throat, heat filling my body as I became angrier. "Where were you anyway? Do you know how many damn times I fucking called you?!"

"Why do you cuss like a sailor whenever you're mad?" Percy said jokingly.

"I don't fucking know!" I cried. "Where were you anyway?! Do you even god damn know how fucking angry I was?!"

 _Now_ Percy looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, but if I tell you, you might get angry."

I clenched my teeth and glared at him. "So now you won't even fucking tell me where you fucking went?"

Percy scooted closer to me, and I was about to get off the couch, but it turned out that he was dry. Wait...what. Wasn't he just soaking wet a minute ago? Wow, Percy dried himself fast.

He caressed my cheek while making me look at him. "I'm sorry, okay? I would tell you, but I don't want to get this conversation worse." His lips made a small smile. "But, I  _can_ tell you why I'm soaking wet."

I raised an eyebrow. "Because you went who-knows-where while walking in the rain?" I surmised.

Percy grinned. "Maybe. But I also decided to go dancing in the rain because why not?"

I managed to crack an amused smile, despite how angry I was. "You are ridiculous! You could get sick by doing that!" I playfully punched him in the chest.

Percy laughed. "Oh please, Percy Jackson never gets sick when it comes to water."

I rolled my eyes. "You might now, but you could get sick from how cold the weather is."

" _Psh_ , nah."

" _Psh_ , yah."

Percy and I erupted into a laughing mess on the couch. We laughed so hard I didn't even know where the PS3 remote that I was holding before went.

Sally came out of the kitchen and smiled at us. "Breakfast is ready, boys. Percy, go get Paul and Tyson."

"Okay," Percy replied before pecking my cheek and jumping up from the couch. He ran off to get Paul and Tyson into the kitchen.

I made my way into the kitchen, a heavenly smell spilling out of the kitchen's entrance.

Sally smiled at me as a greeting. "Can you set up the plates for me? They already have the food on them."

I nodded and took two plates at a time, placing them in front of some random chair at the dining table. By the time Sally finished placing the forks next to the plates I set up, Percy, Paul, and Tyson came in.

When we all settled down and began to eat our blue breakfast, Paul broke the silence.

"So, I heard some yelling and a lot of..." his eyes flickered toward the very jittery Tyson, "... _bad_ language." He glanced between us. "I'm assuming the one throwing bad language out like there isn't a seven year-old in the house was none other than Nico di Angelo." He looked at me with an eyebrow raised, and I felt extremely nervous. Well,  _I'm sorry_ I got so absorbed in the argument that I forgot about every single person living in the house except for Percy.

"So, what happened?" Paul asked. And, I knew Paul actually meant it because he didn't have a book with him.

Percy shifted uncomfortably in the seat next to me. I suddenly didn't feel hungry.

"He didn't tell me where he went when I asked him, that's all." I broke the awkward silence that settled in the dining room.

Sally glanced at Percy with an eyebrow raised. "Percy, you left the house?"

He nodded silently.

"Let me clarify that," Sally said. "You went somewhere in the  _rain_?"

Percy nodded again. His head was bowed low, but I could see Percy smiling where I sat.

His mother sighed exasperatedly. "You are just like your dad, Percy."

Percy chuckled, glancing up at his mother. "Aren't I?"

Sally smiled, but she went back to serious mode. "Where did you go, Percy?"

Percy frowned down at his breakfast. "I had to go...settle something and tell someone that I refuse."

Paul narrowed his eyes. "Percy, we'll talk to you later, okay?"

Percy nodded, and the seriousness in the dining table fled when we heard a loud crash come from a corner of the dining table.

We all whipped our heads toward Tyson, who had eggs on his face and hair, and bread crumbs in his hair as well. Bacon and sausages littered the floor around his chair.

Tyson laughed, and all of us couldn't help but laugh along.

* * *

I was the first one to finish breakfast. Well, technically I didn't  _finish_ breakfast. I wasn't feeling very hungry, so I left my plate on the dining table and excused myself. I was now playing  _Black Ops 2: Team Deathmatch_ again. Yeah, you could say I was addicted.

Percy came out of the kitchen holding a plate and a fork. I quickly glanced at him before focusing back onto the television screen where I jumped up onto a ladder on the side of a blue building at a place named "Standoff."

I felt a dip in the couch next to me, and something cold and metal tap the corner of my lips.

I glanced toward Percy to see what he wanted, and something was shoved into my mouth. And no, it wasn't Percy's tongue if you were wondering.

"What the fuck," I managed to say with a full mouth. "Are you feeding me my breakfast?"

Percy nodded, a smirk on my face as he removed the fork out of my mouth and I was forced to chew and swallow. Although, spitting it back out at Percy was pretty tempting.

I gestured at the screen. "Look what you did. I got knifed from behind." I glared at the kill cam that popped up.

Percy laughed. "You have to eat, Nico!"

"I'm not hungry!" I pouted like a child.

"Well, that sucks, doesn't it?" Percy attempted to give me another piece of sausage into my mouth but I evaded it.

"I fucking told you: I'm not hungry!" I cracked a smile.

Percy laughed. "Nico! We have younger ones in this household!" He chided playfully.

I rolled my eyes and I moved my head away from Percy's fork. "Well, I'm not eating," I stated stubbornly.

Percy placed the plate down on the table located in front of the couch. "I am totally making you eat this piece of motherfucking sausage whether you like it or not."

"Percy! We have younger ones in this household!" I mimicked Percy in a deep voice.

He laughed. "I don't sound that stupid!"

"You sure about that?" I said in between laughs.

"I really am going to make you eat this!" He declared loudly.

"You were already going to make me eat it anyway," I pointed out.

Percy rolled his eyes before throwing the PS3 remote in my hand down and shoving me down onto the couch.

My back hit the couch and I kicked Percy in the chest. He only smirked before holding my feet down with one hand and my hands with his other free hand.

He outstretched my bent legs and straddled me, removing his hand that held my feet down. I struggled, attempting to escape Percy's grasps.

He ground against me, surprising me and erupting a moan from my mouth, instantly making me hard.

And that was when Percy put the piece of sausage into my mouth.

I glared at him. "Evil," I managed as best as I could with a fork and a piece of sausage in my mouth.

He bent down so that his face was inches from mine, removing the fork from my mouth. "Well, I'm hard as well, so I guess we're both even." He shifted his lower regions to prove his point, and I gritted my teeth to suppress another moan.

A blush spread across my face as I continued to glare venomous daggers at him, not saying a word.

Percy chuckled, pressing his lips against mine, but not enough to actually kiss me. I could feel his lips move against mine with every word he said.

"I guess we both have to take care of something,  _hm_? Why don't we help each other out?"

His deep voice sent heat running down to my already-hard manhood underneath my pants.

My blush became a deeper red, and Percy decided to make his move by finally kissing me.

We made-out for awhile before Percy licked my bottom lip for entrance. I obliged, opening my mouth while Percy's tongue shot through to explore.

I moaned into the kiss, while Percy ground against me, making both of us moan in pleasure.

We sometimes separated for a second to catch our breath, before going back and tongue kissing again.

Percy's other hand ran underneath my shirt, sending shocks of pleasure running throughout me with each touch he made. His hand eventually found a nipple, rubbing and squeezing it while his tongue continued to explore.

I groaned, rubbing my crotch against his. Percy gasped, his grip on my hands tightening. I wanted to touch Percy so badly, but he wasn't going to let me anytime soon.

I tried to free my hands, but Percy only tightened his grip some more.

He released his mouth from mine. "Hard to not touch me, huh?" He asked in a husky voice.

I grinded against his crotch again and he moaned. "Fuck, Nico!" He exclaimed.

I smirked before Percy's tongue got shoved into my warm mouth. I gasped as I felt Percy smirk this time. He moved his crotch against mine sexually, and I couldn't stop my moans after that.

It all stopped when we heard a voice.

"No wonder I kept hearing so much noise. Get a room! We have younger ones here!"

We instantly pulled away, our lips bruises from kissing so hard, and we were panting from the lack of air. My shirt was also messed up since Percy's hand was just previously under there.

Paul laughed. "You guys were getting pretty Rated R for Tyson, you know. Control your hormones sometime! Your bedrooms are upstairs!"

"Paul!" Percy's face turned red as he threw a pillow at him.

He chuckled and glanced at us. "I'll just leave you guys alone to take care of your problem."

He left, but we could still hear his laughter from the living room.


	40. Event Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Percy Convinces Nico to Go to the Movie Theaters  
> Date: Wednesday, May 10th and Saturday, May 13th  
> From: Piercetheveilalways (Wattpad)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Kay Jewelers, Edwards Cinemas, To Kill a Mockingbird, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, or the mall that is mentioned in this chapter (this place is a real mall; it's called the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, California).

**Wednesday, May 10th**

* * *

"Please?"

"No."

" _Please_?"

" _No_."

" _Why not_?"

"Because movies don't entertain me. I'll become bored in a split second."

Percy was trying to convince me to go on a movie date with him this weekend. He literally pulled me into his lap when I pulled out my book to read for school called  _To Kill a Mockingbird_  by Harper Lee. Percy's arms were wrapped securely around my waist, and his chin rested upon my right shoulder.

I was trying my hardest to ignore Percy while I had to read chapter four where Scout, Jem, and Dill pretended to be people in the Radley family, some horrible family that people despised. But, it was pretty hard since Percy's voice seemed so loud since his head was on my shoulder, right by my ear.

"Come  _on_ , please? I'll try to find a movie that you like," Percy pleaded once more as his hands slid to my side and he started to rub them up and down, which sent pleasant tingles down my body.

"Percy," I stated firmly, trying very hard to fight my erection, "I need to do homework."

The weight upon my right shoulder lifted, and Percy's warm breath appeared next to my ear. Damn it, why did Percy always know what turned me on?! I guess that's what you should know about your boyfriend. I mean, I already knew my smiles alone turned him on.

"Please?" Percy repeated huskily by my ear. His hands rubbing my sides lifted my shirt up slightly so he could rub my sides without the shirt in the way. His hands were warm compared to my cold skin, and the back of my mind told me to be submissive and allow Percy to rub  _every_ part of my body. But, the front of my mind told me to try to ignore Percy and focus on Scout, Jem, and Dill act like the Radley family.

"Percy," I said, which came out more like a whine.

He sensually licked the back of my ear and I gasped, dropping  _To Kill a Mockingbird_  in surprise. Sorry, Harper Lee, but Percy won this round.

" _Please_?" He whispered hotly into my ear.

Through gritted teeth, I exclaimed, "Fine! You won, Percy. I'll go on that date with you to the movies, okay?"

Percy chuckled deeply. "Fine with me. But," his hand slowly wrapped around my obvious erection through my pants, "we have something to take care of here,  _hm_?"

I blushed a deep shade of red. "You know, I'm not the only one," I remarked, mentioning the erection that I could feel poking into my behind.

Percy blushed as well. "Shut up and let's get to the fun stuff."

"W-wait a second!" I exclaimed as Percy pinned my back onto his mattress. "I still have to read that book!"

"It could wait," Percy growled in a lust-filled voice, his emerald eyes matching his tone of voice. "You told me your quiz on part of that book isn't until next Wednesday, remember?"

My teeth clenched together and my blush became a darker shade of red when Percy straddled me and bent down so that our foreheads touched. My hands were pinned above my head with one of his hands, and his other hand caressed my cheek. Percy apparently loved to keep my hands bound together while he touched me, and all I could do was squirm around and moan.

"The one time you remember something," I grumbled, my eyes narrowing.

Percy chuckled. "It only comes to me when I really want something." His face moved so that it was adjacent to my ear. "And as of right now, I really want you."

And that's how we had another awkward conversation at the dinner table with Sally and Paul.

* * *

**Saturday, May 13th**

* * *

We went to the mall that Silena first took Percy and me to: it was the place where I had to stand outside while Percy and Silena went into Kay Jewelers for my birthday present, and it was also the place where Percy lied about going to the bathroom just to find me. I remembered the place very well; it was a special place to me since it was the place where the bond between Silena, Percy, and I became bigger and better.

Percy led me toward the movie theater named "Edwards Cinemas." It was huge, and it looked as if the theater glowed when it was dark out during the night. The white, bordered words "Edwards Cinemas" were on top of the list of available movies to watch.

"What movie did you decide to watch with me?" I finally asked as we stepped into the line to pay for our tickets. Percy tried to get me to agree to him paying for both of our tickets, but I obviously declined. I just...felt bad for using other people's money, you know?

"It's an action movie. I'm pretty sure you seem like the type to watch action movies, so I decided to take you to one," Percy answered nonchalantly. "Plus, I've never seen this movie before and I heard from Jason and some other people that it's a pretty good movie. It's a sequel to another movie, but I'm pretty sure you don't have to watch the first movie. You won't be  _that_ confused. But, if you are, then you can ask me, 'kay?" Percy offered with a smile.

I nodded, shoving my hands into my jean pockets. "Alright, but you never answered my question. What movie are we  _watching_?"

Percy smirked as we stepped up to the ticket booth. His gaze switched over to the man working at the ticket booth.

"Two tickets for  _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_ , please."

* * *

We stepped into the movie theater, the air conditioner blasting against us as we came through the double doors. Hot weather was arriving again, so we had to resort to lighter clothing. Man, I miss my Aviator jacket.

I rubbed my arm for warmth since I got cold way too easily, and the blasting air conditioner made me freeze.

Percy swung his arm around my shoulders, and he glanced at the front counter, then back to me.

"Do you want anything to eat before we go watch the movie?" he questioned me.

I shrugged. "Whatever you want. I don't eat very much, you know."

Percy rolled his eyes, a smile plastered onto his handsome, perfectly tanned face. "I already know that, Nico. I was just making sure."

I sighed. "Okay, Percy." I glanced at the counter full of different assortments of candy, containers for holding popcorn, soda, and popcorn. My eyes flickered toward my boyfriend that I couldn't believe was my boyfriend.

"You're going to get something, aren't you?" I sighed once more.

" _Pft_ , of course, I am!" Percy grinned like a little child as he and I made our way to the front counter.

When it was our turn to get something, I could see a change in Percy's mood over instantly. But, I couldn't tell why. I narrowed my eyes at Percy until my gaze switched over to whoever was working there.

She was a pretty female, who had cinnamon-colored hair and dark almond eyes. She was a bit taller than me by an inch or so, and I could tell she was older than me. The worker had a slim appearance and what appeared to be flawless skin. Her nametag on her chest read "Caly."

"Percy?" She looked genuinely surprised.

"I didn't know you worked here," Percy replied coldly.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, only for part-time." Her dark almond eyes shifted over to me. "Who's this?" Her expression seemed to darken as if she already knew who I was, but she didn't want to face the truth.

"My  _boyfriend_ ," Percy emphasized. He soon sighed, calming down. I could feel his shoulders relax since once of his arms were slung around my shoulders.

He ran a hand through his soft, black hair. "Can I just have popcorn and soda?" He requested as calmly as he could.

Caly nodded, an obviously fake smile upon her pink lips. "Of course."

When we left the counter, I glanced at Percy. "Who was she? That...'Caly' person?"

Percy glanced at me, a look of annoyance on his face for a split second. But, it looked as if it wasn't directed at me.

"Just some girl I know in my calculus class." Percy sighed exasperatedly.

I decided not to press the conversation since I knew what it was like to not want to talk about anything. Forcing it out of someone wasn't the best idea.

"Percy?" I said, grabbing his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where to go? Because I obviously have  _never_ been here before."

Percy slightly laughed, and I was glad his mood was becoming lifted.

"Yeah, we have to give our ticket to that guy first." He jutted his head over to a bored-looking man sitting at a small table in front of a large cave-like entrance.

We arrived at the man and handed our tickets to him. He only ripped half of each ticket; he threw one into a trashcan and the other half was given back to us.

"A-2," was the only thing that came out of the sleepy worker. That guy was in desperate need of some sleep.

Percy nodded, a smile, to my relief, finally gracing his lips. "Thanks."

We walked right past the guy, and Percy led me into a doorway with the two digits "A-2" above the doorway in silver.

Percy closed the darkened door behind us, and we stepped onto a slope that led up to multiple black, folded, cushioned seats all aligned in neat rows.

The only things that showed up on the enormous theater screen that illuminated the giant room weird advertisements. They were mostly advertisements about movies that haven't even come out yet, and they were about how you should turn off or silence your phone before the actual movie started.

The movie started finally, and I felt Percy's warm hand grasp my cold ones. I didn't get why Percy loved to hold my hands even though they were so cold.

"I hope you actually like the movie," Percy whispered to me since we had to be especially quiet in the movie theaters while the movie was rolling.

I smiled at him. "If  _you_ think that I'll like the movie, then I'm pretty sure I will."

Percy chuckled and went in for a surprise kiss on my lips. I immediately tensed on instinct, but I soon relaxed and returned the kiss when Percy's hand rested upon my cheek.

My arms swung themselves around Percy's neck, and we soon, unfortunately, pulled back for air.

"Get into my seat," Percy whispered.

I raised an eyebrow at him, even though I knew that he could barely see my face.

"What?" I asked for clarification.

From the light coming from the theater screen, I could see Percy's smirk. He stood up from his chair briefly and pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his head upon my own.

I rolled my eyes, but I leaned into Percy's embrace while I watched the movie and Percy occasionally reached his hand into the popcorn container and plopped it into his mouth.

We watched the rest of the movie in silence, and I started to become even more absorbed into the movie when Steve Rogers beat up all of those people in the elevator alone like the badass he was. I mean, you got to admit it. It was pretty badass.

The plot twists in the movie were so fucking unreal too, like when the dude in black that opposed Captain America and the others was actually his friend, Bucky, who supposedly died years ago. Like, damn, Captain America, what was going on with your life?

After the movie ended, Percy led me out the movie theater into the blinding sunlight after throwing his trash into the first trash can he could find. The movie theater was so dark. I was  _definitely_  not used to the light just yet.

Percy swung his arm around my shoulders once again. "So, I bet you liked that movie, huh?" He asked with a confident smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I actually did. Did you?"

"Hell yeah, I did!" Percy exclaimed with a laugh. I smiled and chuckled at his excitement.

"Hey," Percy said after his laughter eventually died, "do you just want to go walk around?"

I shrugged. "Well, why not?"

Percy chuckled and we walked aimlessly around the outdoor mall until our feet started to hurt from all the walking.


	41. Event Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Annabeth? Annabelle?  
> Date: Sunday, May 21st  
> From: Fandom_Before_Blood (Wattpad)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot that Percy has football practice every Sunday, so let's just pretend that whenever I put the date on Sunday, that this is taking place after his practice. Oops.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the movie Annabelle, and I have no idea if the movie details are right because I looked it up online. I forbid myself to watch scary movies. Errrggghhhh
> 
> I also don't own The Maze Runner. I've actually never read that book before, but two of my friends have...
> 
> I also also don't own Finding Dory.
> 
> *sigh* I also also also don't own World War Z. Finally! Done with that.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Hey, you don't have an excuse now!  _Please_?"

I sighed exasperatedly. "Just because we went once means that you want to go  _again_?"

Percy smiled. "Yeah! Come on! Why not?"

"Because we kind of just went," I remarked.

"So? Why can't we just go again? Please?" Percy pulled out his best puppy dog eyes while sticking out his bottom lip.

Well, that was just  _fucking great,_  huh? First, he seduced me into going to the movies with him, and  _now_ he fucking begged me like a homeless puppy wanting food!

"Fine! You little shit, I can't believe you're making me go to the movies  _again_!"

Percy smirked and wrapped his arms around my waist, setting his head on my own. "Yeah, I'm just that kind of guy. Hey, so you like action movies, huh?"

"I guess." I simply shrugged.

"So, how about a scary movie?" Percy asked.

"A...scary movie?"

"Yeah! I don't know; you just seem like a scary guy."

"Well, gee, thanks," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Sometimes I wonder why you even date me."

"Hey." Percy bent down and pecked me on the corner of my lips. "I'm sorry I said that. I don't think you're scary. Some other people, like Leo, think you're scary." I had to smile at that. Of course, Leo of all people was scared of me.

"And I date you because I love you." He kissed me passionately on the lips, and I only got to respond back for a few seconds. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine; emerald eyes meeting dark brown.

"So fucking much," Percy finished, making me smile wider with a blush.

He caressed my cheek with his hand. "God, I just love your smile, Nico. I'm so glad I was able to make you smile again."

I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him on the lips. Before he could respond, I pulled back, leaving Percy as dumbstruck as ever. His eyes were wide and his face was a light tint of red.

"I'm glad you made me smile again too. I love you so much, Percy."

"Shit, Nico, I love you more."

"Nu-uh"

"Ya-huh."

"No fucking way."

"Yeah, fucking way."

"Percy, you are so ridiculous sometimes."

"I know." He smiled at me.

I rolled my eyes and decided to change the subject. "So, what are we watching?"

" _Annabelle_ ," Percy simply replied.

I blankly blinked at him. "Wait, don't you mean  _Annabeth_?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "What? Why would we watch Annabeth? That actually sounds a bit creepy. Then again, the movie's supposed to be a scary movie."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "So, the  _movie_ is called  _Annabelle_?"

"Yes, Nico," Percy said slowly as if I was a little child.

I rolled my eyes. "Well,  _I'm_ sorry;  _Annabeth_ just sounds like  _Annabelle_ , okay?"

Percy chuckled and pecked my forehead. "You are so adorable."

I exasperatedly sighed. "You know, I don't try at it."

"Which makes it even better!" Percy answered enthusiastically.

I gave him a small smile. My smiles never went bigger than that.

"So, when are we going to watch that movie?"

"Now," Percy answered, pulling me up from his bed.

"Wait,  _now_?" I repeated.

"Yep! Now come one, let's go!" Percy ran off somewhere for about a second before he came back with my clothes and his clothes.

"Percy-" I tried to stop him, but it was too late. Percy already pushed the door closed and started stripping me so he could put on my new clothes.

* * *

We arrived at the movie theater. It was a different one from the last one we went to about a week ago. It looked similar to the other movie theater, with the same title and everything. But, the area was different. Sure there were stores here and there, but there were fewer people here. And, the alignment of the buildings was different too.

Percy already explained this "scary movie" to me. The movie was called  _Annabelle_ because there was this doll that this newly married couple tried to find. Later on, they were attacked by some girl holding that same doll and her boyfriend. The police come and kill the boyfriend, but the girl kills herself. The doll becomes cursed when the girl draws a symbol on the wall in blood before she dies, and a drop of blood falls onto the doll that she was holding. The girl's name that killed herself was Annabelle Higgins. Misfortune still follows that family because the doll wanted their child's soul or something, even though they threw the doll away.

And, that was just the introduction.

We made our way into the double doors leading into the theater after we brought out tickets for the movie. Percy debated on getting food, but he decided not to since he said he might scream or something and the food would be all over the place. Poor janitor.

Percy ended up dragging me into the assigned movie theater room because I accidentally walked into a room showing  _The Maze Runner._ Never heard of it, but it sounded familiar. Maybe Paul read the book of it. Wait, was there  _even_ a book for it?

We decided to pick seats that were around the top in the back of all the rows of chairs. Like last time, they were showing advertisements for movies that hadn't come out yet, like  _Finding Dory_ , and Percy looked really into that advertisement when it came up.

I was about to sit in a chair, but something called Percy's arms decided to pull me into another seat that was also known as Percy's lap.

I rolled my eyes as Percy set his head upon mine, securely wrapping his arms around my waist. "Why do you do this every time were at a movie theater?"

Percy chuckled. "Because, Nico, you're too far away when you sit in another chair."

"I would  _literally_ be sitting right next to you."

"And that's too far!"

I rolled my eyes again with a huff while Percy silently laughed at my reaction.

The movie started rolling, and I immediately got scared of all the dolls the wife was lining on a shelf. Those were some  _creepy shit_ she was holding there! Who the fuck in this  _world_ gets those for their children! I would be scared as  _Hell_ if someone got me that doll. Or  _any_  of them for that matter.

"Scared already, Nico?" Percy teased.

"Well, I'm god damn scared of those shitty things people call  _dolls_ that she's holding."

Percy laughed. "This is why I love you so much."

"Because I curse all the fucking time whenever I'm frustrated or angry?"

"Nah." Percy lowered his head so that it was by my ear. "I love  _everything_ about you," he said in a husky voice.

My eyes widened, a blush spreading across my cheeks.

Percy chuckled. He glanced up at the giant movie screen and screamed, "Holy shit!" while jumping up in his seat.

"Fucking Hell, Percy, don't do that!" I yelled at him, my arms flying around Percy's neck. Percy laughed, his arms around my waist holding me tighter.

"Sorry, sorry, I just got scared."

"There was  _nothing_ scary about that!" I fiercely whispered at him.

Percy continued to laugh as quietly as he could, which wasn't very quiet. But, hey, good thing there weren't very many people here to hear us. Because if there were,  _a lot_ of people would be annoyed.

I ended up sitting in Percy's lap sideways as if Percy was carrying me bridal style if he was standing. My arms were around Percy's neck, and I would occasionally hide my face in the crook of Percy's neck if there was  _definitely_ something I didn't want to see. Sometimes Percy used my head as a shield, and he would mutter, "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit..." chronically.

My grip around Percy's neck was tight, and his grip around my waist was the same. I bet he could hear my heart beating fast from 1) being so close to him, and 2) from this god damn movie.

When we left the movie theater after the movie ended, I was  _shaking._ Like,  _visibly_  shaking.

Percy's arm rested upon my shoulders. "I should get you one of those dolls for your next birthday."

"No," I flatly denied.

Percy laughed. "I didn't think you would be so scared."

"You shouldn't be talking, you know," I remarked with a smirk up in his direction.

Percy chuckled. "Yeah, I really shouldn't be."

"I've watched scary movies before but I've never actually gotten scared of them. I wonder why I got scared now," I said.

"Like what,  _World War Z?_ " Percy asked. "Because, I know you don't get scared of the living dead, Nico."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "How did you know that? I don't remember saying anything like that to you."

" _Uh_ ," Percy drawled for probably the longest time of my life. He finally said, "Not important."

"Oh, so now it's  _your_ turn to say that to me?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it is."

On the way back to Percy's car, our roles were reversed. I kept asking Percy private questions like an annoying little child, while all Percy said was, "Not important."

Except for this one time when I asked how big his penis was and he immediately responded with, "7 inches."


	42. Event Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: A Double Date with Annabeth and Luke?  
> Date: Thursday, June 8th & Saturday, June 10th  
> From: Piercetheveilalways (Wattpad)

**Thursday, June 8th**

* * *

"Hey, Nico!"

I whirled around and was surprised to see a head full of curly, blonde hair in my line of sight.

I stopped in my tracks, shouldering my unfortunately heavy backpack. Stupid Biology and Geometry.

"Hey," I replied unemotionally once she reached me.

"Hey, what class are you going to?" She asked me with a tilt of her head.

"Biology," I grimaced, gritting my teeth and narrowing my eyes at nothing in particular at the thought of going to another class full of annoying students. Well, technically that was what all of my classes were like.

"What do you have, Annabeth?" I decided to ask to keep the conversation going.

"English." She sighed. "Do you want to walk together?"

I shrugged. "Why the Hell not?"

She breathily laughed, linking her arm through mine in a friendly gesture.

"I wanted to ask you something," she began in a quiet tone.

"With this whole linking-arms thing and the way you said that makes it sound like you want to ask me out."

Annabeth laughed. "No, you idiot!" She punched me playfully. "Your boyfriend is rubbing off on you."

I smiled in amusement. "I guess that's what happens when you hang out with someone for too long."

Annabeth chuckled. "True enough."

"But, anyway, what were you going to ask me?" I asked, getting us back onto topic as we made our way through the crowded hallways of the school.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date," she said.

I blankly blinked at her. "Wait, so you  _are_ asking me out?"

Annabeth blinked as well before her face became an amusing color of red that I rarely saw. "I didn't mean it like that!" She quickly replied, completely flustered.

"It totally sounded like you meant it like that." I smirked playfully at her.

She rolled her eyes. "More like Percy the more time passes by," she muttered.

I rolled my eyes at her. "No, but seriously what do you even mean?"

"Wait, what would you do if I actually meant it?" Annabeth ventured.

"You mean me and you on a  _date_?" I said with a frown. "I can't see it."

Annabeth shook her curly, blonde hair. "Me neither. You know one of my friends asked me a long time ago if I was dating you."

"No fucking way." I grimaced in disgust. I never had plans of dating a girl. I just... couldn't  _see_ it.

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah, I know right? She always saw us together and she asked me. I laughed for about an hour."

I chuckled. "Oh really? What's her name?"

"Her name's Calypso, but most people call her Caly," she answered. "She finds her full name a weird name. Just like Percy, I guess."

Caly...Caly...where had I heard that before? Why does it seem so familiar?

Damn it was going to kill me. I stayed silent, searching through my memory banks for someone named "Caly." I knew it wasn't from school because I never remember my classmates' names. It was definitely not any of Percy's friends either.

Wait... wasn't it that girl at the movie theater that Percy seemed to hate when we went to watch  _Captain America_? She was the only person that stuck out in my memory that I didn't know very well.

"Nico?" Annabeth cocked an eyebrow up at me.

Apparently, I had stayed silent for a bit too long. "Y-yeah?" I mentally slapped myself for stuttering.

"You okay? You were quiet for awhile," she remarked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reassured her. "The name just sounds familiar is all."

"Really?" Annabeth seemed intrigued. "Did you find out why it was familiar?"

"I think Percy was talking to her once when we went to the movies," I replied. "It didn't seem like he liked her."

Annabeth frowned in confusion, her eyebrows knit together. "Weird. I didn't know Percy knew her. I might have to ask him later about it. Have you asked him yet?"

I shook my head. "I feel like he'll get really moody if I ask him. I've been kind of scared to ask him."

Annabeth's eyes widened slightly. "Scared?"

I continued. "When he talked to her that day, he seemed different. He wasn't smiling, and he was really tense. His grip on me was tight too, and I could see annoyance and hatred across his face. And, I'm pretty sure I know what that looks like from my father."

Annabeth looked deep in thought, but after a few moments, she sighed. "I  _definitely_  need to ask Percy about that. He rarely gets like that."

"Rarely?" I repeated. "Do that mean you've seen him like that before?"

She nodded. "The most recent time it happened was awhile back when Percy and I were talking about your dad."

"My father?" My eyes widened.

Annabeth nodded once more. "Yeah, Percy was the same as you described him before when he saw Caly. Percy hated your dad, Nico. It was so scary to see such a kind and sweet person like Percy to become so... _cold_ when he talked about the things your father did to you."

I was speechless. Percy was angry because of what my father did to me? To be honest, I felt a little happy that Percy cared about what happened to me.

Annabeth sighed. "I don't think you guys are going to break up anytime now."

I rolled my eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"You guys are like attached to the hip!" Annabeth exclaimed. "I'm surprised he's not with you right now!"

"That's because we're going to class, and Percy has calculus right now so he has to go the opposite way," I pointed out.

"He still cares for you so much, Nico. You're lucky, you know," she added with a soft smile.

I arched an eyebrow. "Hey, you used to date him too."

She shrugged. "I guess, but he didn't care for me as much as he did for you. But, it's not like I'm jealous or anything. I'm happy you guys  _finally_ got together."

My eyebrow still kept its place. " _Finally?_ " I repeated.

She nodded with a chuckle, recalling the memory. "Yeah, when Percy first heard you playing the violin in the park, he immediately became intrigued. He ditched us to go find whoever was playing such a beautiful song, which turned out to be you.

"Percy's a bit... _slow_ when it comes to his feelings. A few days when he started to become friends with you, I could immediately see the love in his eyes. I would've broken it off with him, but...I don't know. I wanted to wait and see what Percy would do. I wanted to see if Percy would  _actually_ notice his feelings for you. Turns out he finally did.

"I knew it was coming when Percy broke up with me, but it just  _hurt_ , you know?" I bet she could see the sadness and concern in my eyes because she quickly added, "But, I'm over it now. It's okay. I'm happy with Luke right now so I'm fine."

I sighed quietly in relief with a small smile on my face.

"Oh!" Annabeth's face lit up. "That reminds me. I was supposed to ask you if you wanted to go on a date."

"Annabeth, we already had this conversation."

Annabeth's face turned slightly red. "I meant with me and Luke, you know? Do you want to go with Percy and us?"

My eyebrows slightly raised. "Oh, so you mean like a double date?"

Annabeth smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, that's what I meant. Thanks, for some reason I forgot the word." She shrugged. "I guess I was too absorbed in Percy'sreaction at Caly."

I nodded. "Yeah, I understand. Sure, I'd love to go. But, I don't know if Percy would want to. You'd have to ask him."

Annabeth cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Why wouldn't Percy want to go?" Then it clicked in her mind a second later. "Right, there's the problem with you and Luke. Percy won't like it if we suddenly become friendly with him."

I nodded. "Yeah."

We arrived at my biology classroom not a second later. I bid my farewells to Annabeth as I unexcitingly trudged my way through the entrance as Annabeth made her way toward her English classroom.

* * *

"A double date with Annabeth and  _Luke_?!" He repeated for probably the millionth time.

I nodded for probably the millionth time as well. Man, I was going to get a neck cramp if I kept it up.

"Are you fucking  _serious_?!" He exclaimed.

I nodded for probably the millionth and first time. "Yes, Percy," I said as if I was saying it to a little child. "Annabeth wanted to know if  _we_  wanted to go on a  _date_ with  _Annabeth and Luke_."

He lay back in his bed and glanced up at me. "You're kidding me, right? Don't you already know what my answer is?"

I sighed. "A 'no,' huh?" I surmised.

Percy sighed. "I'm not letting me  _or_ you be friendly to  _Luke_. Don't you remember what that guy fucking did to you?!"

He looked the same as he did when he found Caly at the movie theater, and it scared me. I wanted him to calm down as soon as possible.

"I do," I said with a look forlorn. But I quickly added, "but Annabeth's dating him, right? She wouldn't date anyone that's still bad."

It was silent for a long period of time. I sighed quietly with sadness written over my face. I crawled on the bed, straddling Percy and bending down so that our lips brushed against each other.

"Please?" I quietly pleaded.

I loved the look on Percy's face whenever I became dominant. His eyes were wide and his face had a tint of red added to it. His lips were slightly parted, and I could feel him become hard.

"F-fine." Percy admitted defeat, averting his gaze in embarrassment.

I smirked at him, rubbing my crotch against his, resulting in a heavy moan from the teen beneath me. Pleasure shot through me as I attempted to contain my own moan.

"Guess we have to take care of something, huh?" I said breathlessly with a teasing tone.

His emerald green eyes were so full of lust as he rested his hand on the back of my neck and fiercely pushed my lips onto his.

You know, I've always wondered if Sally and Paul ever got tired of scolding us over the dinner table for being so loud and for being too inappropriate for Tyson.

* * *

**Saturday, June 10th**

* * *

Percy and Luke were having some kind of glaring contest the whole time. And to be honest, I found it kind of amusing.

We were at another fancy restaurant, but it wasn't the same one that I went to when Percy took me for my birthday. Just thinking about what happened on that day made me blush horribly.

You know, while I was on the topic of what happened on the day of my birthday, wasn't Percy straight before he met me? Such an awkward question, but how in the god damn world did he know how to have sex with a  _guy_? Maybe I'll ask him later. Bringing it up now would be...weird with Annabeth's and Luke's presence.

I sat next to Percy while Annabeth sat next to Luke. We decided that it wouldn't be a very good idea putting Luke next to Percy or me. Percy wouldn't have a very great reaction if either of us sat next to him.

"Guys,  _please_ just stop." Annabeth tried to bring down the tension that came from them.

"Not unless he stops first," Luke growled.

Percy decided to keep quiet and not say anything.

"Luke, you're better than this. Just stop, okay?" Annabeth turned to look with begging eyes.

Luke looked at her from the corner of his eyes and he sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Fine, if you really want me to."

Annabeth smiled and pecked him on the cheek, resulting in a light blush from him.

I glanced at Percy and I saw that his glare lessened. I smiled slightly and slipped my hand into Percy's, locking our fingers.

Percy's eyes widened and he turned his head to look at me. His glare was completely gone now and he smiled back; the twinkle in his emerald green eyes came back.

He squeezed my hand in his tightly, never taking his eyes off of mine.

"Nice eye sex, guys," Luke decided to say with a chuckle, but he didn't sound as if he was trying to make fun of us.

We quickly tore our eyes away from each other with a blush. I was frowning slightly.

I stole a glance at Luke and saw that he looked very amused, and he also seemed a bit happy. I internally smiled at the sight. At least he finally loosened up. I glanced back at Percy and saw that he was smiling slightly; the cold glare from his face was completely gone now.

I saw in the corner of my eyes that Annabeth looked a bit more relaxed now, and the air around us didn't seem so tight anymore.

I relaxed in my seat as well but immediately tensed up when a pair of strong arms pulled me in his lap. I rolled my eyes. Of course.

"Really, Percy?" I glanced at Percy from behind my shoulder.

"I told you, didn't I?" Percy smirked. "You're too far away when you sit next to me."

I rolled my eyes at him. "In front of Annabeth and Luke too?"

"In front of Annabeth and Luke too," Percy repeated with a deep chuckle

I could hear Annabeth and Luke laugh. I turned around and glanced at them with an eyebrow raised, relaxing into Percy as his arms tightened around my waist.

"You guys seem so cute together." Annabeth chuckled, and I know she meant it because I could never hear her say "cute" in my mind until now.

"Thanks?" Percy and I said at the same time.

" _Aw_ , look at you guys," Luke said jokingly with a smirk. "Saying the same things at the same time. How adorable."

Percy rolled his eyes with a smile gracing his lips. "Shut it, Luke."

Luke chuckled and that was when our food decided to arrive. About time.

* * *

After we ate, we all unanimously agreed to split the bill into four and pay it off since this place was fucking expensive. Annabeth and Luke took our money and went to the front counter to pay.

"You better not tell them that I said this, but I actually like Luke as a person," Percy said, starting a conversation.

"Oh, so I have competition now?" I raised an eyebrow at him behind my shoulder.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You're the only one for me." He pushed his lips onto mine, kissing me passionately. I responded quickly, kissing him equally back.

I never really noticed Percy's hand drifting downward until his squeezed my crotch.

"Fuck, Percy, really?!" I exclaimed with a moan.

Percy smirked, unbuttoning my jeans and zipping them down. "Yeah, here."

"Percy, we're in fucking public."

"Them we can go to the bathrooms."

"They're called  _public bathrooms_ for a god damn reason."

He squeezed my crotch again and I gasped. "Fuck you, Percy."

"Technically speaking,  _I'm_  fucking  _you_ ," Percy corrected.

I rolled my eyes, and I didn't think he was serious about it until he carried me into the bathroom.

* * *

He pushed me into an open stall; luckily all of the stalks were open which meant that no one else was in here. Hopefully, no one would walk in and hear us.

He locked the stall behind him and pushed me onto the toilet seat, pulling my pants down as quickly as possible and spreading my legs.

"Percy," I whined as he stared at my pulsing manhood.

Warmth enveloped my penis and I gasped and threw my head back with a loud moan, echoing across the bathroom walls.

He stroked the side of my thighs, and my hands clawed on the side of the toilet.

I forced myself to look down at him: emerald locking with dark brown. His tongue swirled along the sides of my penis and it eventually reached the very tip.

He released it with a loud  _pop_ and his hand found the shaft instead.

My legs and my arms shook and I bit my lip to suppress more loud moans. Instead, they came out more as whimpers as Percy pumped my manhood with one hand.

A smirk graced his features as his thumb rubbed the tip of my penis, spreading pre-come. His other fingers stroked the sides and I couldn't stop the long moan that erupted from my throat, my teeth leaving my bottom lip.

When I was on the verge of coming, Percy stopped.

" _Percy_ ," I whined again with a pleading look in my eyes. I was panting heavily, and I could see Percy's emerald eyes full of lust

He stood up and leaned me down until my back touched the cool surface of the back of the wall. My legs were still wide, and Percy eyed my body with a hungry look, licking his lips in the process.

He tore off my shirt and his own, throwing it down onto the floor along with my jeans. His own jeans came off, joining the other articles of clothing, and I couldn't help but stare at his beautifully toned body.

He bent over so that his lips touched my ear. "I want you to come when I'm inside of you."

I shivered at his deep, lust-filled voice. Percy placed my legs upon his shoulders, his index finger circling my entrance.

"Ready?" Percy asked me. I quickly nodded, wanting to get the pain that followed over with.

It wasn't just our second time Percy and I had sex. We've actually had sex multiple times-enough to make Percy know exactly where my sensitive prostate was.

He wasted no time in trying to turn me on more than I was before, which I didn't think was possible but it actually was when I felt it finger prod my prostate.

I moaned louder than I did before, and my panting became heavier. I felt embarrassed knowing that Percy was staring at me so intently, but he told me once that he loved how I looked whenever we had sex, which I found very weird.

He added a second finger in without me moaning because I was too busy moaning my life away as shocks of pleasure ran throughout my body. My fingers desperately clawed at the toilet seat as Percy began pumping his fingers in and out, slamming my prostate every time he pushed his fingers inward.

He scissored my entrance, attempting to stretch my entrance so that something bigger could fit into there. Once he got three fingers pumping in and out of my entrance and I was about to come again, he pulled his fingers out, and before I could whine the third time in that bathroom, his own penis went into my entrance while both Percy and I moaned at the pleasurable feeling.

He pulled his manhood out until only the head of his penis was inside, and slammed it as hard as he could against my sensitive spot. I moan uncontrollably as Percy fucked me harder and faster every time he pulled out and then pushed in.

Our bodies became slick with sweat, and our moans bounced along the walls of the bathroom.

"P-Percy!" I called his name as I came, white substance spraying on our stomachs. Percy followed soon after, calling my name out after a few more thrusts.

We stayed in that position afterward, trying to even out our breathing and control our heartbeats.

"Guess we've got a lot to clean up, huh?" Percy broke the silence after his breathing turned to normal.

* * *

"Had fun in there?" Luke smirked as we came out of the bathroom. I averted my gaze, attempting to hide the blush that threatened to show itself to the whole world.

"Yeah, we did," Percy answered back with no hesitation whatsoever.

Luke laughed. "I can't believe you just said that."

Percy shrugged. "You asked, I just answered."

While Percy and Luke  _finally_ had a civil conversation for once, Annabeth linked her arm through mine.

"So, how was it?" She asked with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, glancing anywhere but Annabeth's face. "Shut up," I said through gritted teeth.

She laughed and decided to change the subject for my own sake as we all made our way back to our cars parked in the enormous parking lot.


	43. Event Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Prom Night  
> Date: Wednesday, June 14th and Saturday, June 24th  
> From: Piercetheveilalways (Wattpad)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: How COOL would it be if I owned the Washington National Monument and Taylor Swift's song Shake it Off? Yeah, well, I don't. I also don't own the song Bang Bang by Jessie J., Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj. It'd still be pretty cool if I did own it.

**Wednesday,** **June** **14th**

* * *

" _Hm?_ Prom's starting soon?" Jason asked amusedly to no one in particular when we saw a poster hung on the wall of the school library.

I glanced to the poster. "I hate dances," I muttered.

"Then what if Percy asked you to go with him?" Jason turned his head at me, raising his eyebrow with a smirk upon his lips.

I rolled my eyes and punched him in the arm. "Shut up."

Jason laughed. "No, but seriously! Would you say 'yes?'"

I shrugged. "I guess so. It's just like Percy asking me on another date, right?"

" _Another_  date?" Jason's expression turned more mischievous.

My eyes widened and I turned away. I never mentioned our dates to anyone until now.

"Er, never mind, forget it." I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets, trying to hide the discoloration on my face.

"No, no," Jason chided. "I'm not letting you get out of this one. Now, what did you say about  _another_ date?"

Well, now I really couldn't get out of it.

"Percy and I have been on...a few dates I guess," I murmured quietly.

"Wait, you've been on  _more_?" Jason's grin reached his ears. "This is the best news I've heard all day! Why did you hide it?"

I frowned. "I didn't exactly hide it. I just-"

"-decided not to tell me," Jason finished with a roll of his eyes. "You should've told me! I mean, Percico all the fucking way, right? Oh my god, that should be my motto."

I stared up at him cluelessly. "Per...cico?"

Jason waved it away. "Something Piper made up. But anyway, are you going to prom?" He jabbed his thumb at the poster we stood adjacent to.

I shrugged. "If Percy wants to. I, honestly, don't give a shit."

Jason sighed. "You should go! It'd be like some kind of double date between me and Piper and you guys."

My mind flashed back to the last time I had a double date, and my face turning a deep red.

"Nico?" Jason frowned and waved a hand in front of my face.

I cleared my throat. "Just...thinking."

"About what, exactly?" Jason winked and nudged me in the side.

I slapped his arm away, my facing becoming 51 shades of red. Nope, not even 50.

"I think Leo is rubbing off on you," I grumbled.

Jason laughed. "Oh please, I've always been like this."

I rolled my eyes with an exasperated sigh and Jason chuckled. We soon heard footsteps from behind us and we whirled around to find an exhausted Silena and Percy.

"So, Percy!" Jason exclaimed when he caught sight of him. "Heard you went on a-"

I shoved Jason, making him stumble and laugh.

Percy arched a confused eyebrow. "I went on a  _what_?"

Silena looked equally confused. "Huh?"

"Nothing," I said a bit too quickly. I could feel Jason's smirk land on me.

" _Uh_ ," Percy drawled. "Should I be asking what you guys are talking about?"

"No, you shouldn't," I replied rapidly.

Jason laughed. When it finally died down, he said, "Yeah you actually should ask but I'll answer anyway. You guys have gone on dates and you haven't even told me!"

"What are you, my mom?" Percy sighed with a joking smile upon his lips. "We've been on a lot actually."

" _Really?!_ " Silena exclaimed. "How were they?! Where did you guys go?!  _Oh_ , tell me, tell me,  _tell me!_ " She said energetically.

Percy and I exchanged glances before turning back to them.

Percy scratched the back of his head. "I feel like you guys are making a documentary of my life."

"You mean a  _biography?_ " I corrected him with my eyebrows furrowed.

Percy waved it aside. "Whatever, Mr. Know-it-all."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought I was Mr. I-was-born-to-skate."

"That too." Percy chuckled.

Jason looked genuinely confused, but he suddenly smirked. "Was that from one of your dates?" From the expressions on Percy's and my face, he chuckled, shaking his head side to side. "Of course."

Silena giggled, glancing at the poster beside us and pulling on Percy's arm. "Look, Percy!"

Percy followed Silena's gaze until he found the poster. He raised an eyebrow. "Prom, huh? It's so weird to think that school's almost over." His gaze landed on me. "Do I even have to ask for you to come with me?"

"Yes!" Silena cried. "Make it super dramatic with roses and a ring and the Washington National Monument in the background!" She laughed.

Percy rolled his eyes with a laughing grin upon his face. "That'd be cool, but I'm not driving all the way to Washington DC to ask Nico to prom."

"But, it'd be fucking cool," Jason added.

Percy rolled his eyes. "I'll do it when I propose to him. Is that better?" He said with a smirk. He glanced at me and winked, making me a flustered.

Jason laughed. "That's better."

"So, Nico?" Percy turned to me, thrusting his thumb toward the poster behind his shoulder. "Want to go to prom with your one and hopefully only boyfriend?"

I rolled my eyes with a sigh. "Seriously? You think I love someone else other than you?"

Percy shrugged. "I never know." He came up to me a jabbed his index finger into the middle of my forehead. "And don't you dare say that you're not good enough for anybody."

"You know me so well," I mumbled, averting my gaze.

"Wait, Nico says that?" Jason glanced worriedly at me.

Percy shook his head and offered a smile in Jason's direction afterward. "Just forget about it."

Jason arched an eyebrow, but he didn't question it, to my relief.

My eyes found emerald green ones and I nodded, making Percy look utterly confused.

"I never answered your question, did I?" I started to explain. "So, yes, I'll go with you to prom, even if I do hate dances."

Percy chuckled. "Is it because you suck at dancing?"

I shrugged, shoving my hands deep into my front jean pockets. "I've never tried. There's just too many people for my liking."

Percy swung his arm around my shoulders with a grin. "Well, Neeks, you're just about to try."

* * *

**Saturday,** **June** **24th**

* * *

It was now prom night. Of course, you had to dress all fancy and immaculate for prom, and I really didn't want to. I told Percy I didn't want to dress up the day before, but all he said was: "Maybe you don't, but my mom's gonna go all out on you."

I should've heeded his words. It felt like I was Sally's Barbie doll that day. I'm just glad she didn't decide to put make-up on me. She literally bought a whole new suit and. shoes for me and I didn't even know where she got the money for that. But she managed it, and I was thoroughly surprised. She checked me up and down to see if there was anything wrong with my clothes, and she was about to style my hair but I refused and Percy said that I was fine.

Sally spent about an hour if I were to estimate the time, taking awkward pictures of Percy and me together in various parts of the house-including outside in the wide and open public, which was very embarrassing might I add.

After about three bajillion hours spent at Percy's house because of his mother, we were finally at the school gym where the prom took place.

The school really went all out for the prom just like Sally. Instead of a place for sweaty people who aren't athletic so they took PE instead of joining a sports team, the gymnasium was transformed so that it looked as if I just stepped into a ballroom. I seriously couldn't imagine people doing push-ups and running across the gym in the exact same room that I was in.

The gymnasium was pretty big; either that or it just looked enormous. Music was blaring from the speakers located who-knows-where, and the gym was dark. The only light source were phones, cameras with their flash on (which is  _very_ blinding if you guys haven't experienced professional cameras with their flash on), and the disco ball located in the center of the ceiling. It rotated in its place like a planet, and it seemed to reflect everything in the gym.

Tables holding food were set up on the sides of the gym, and in the middle, people were dancing to whatever music came out of the speakers, like that awfully annoying song called  _Shake it Off_  by Taylor Swift. Definitely not my kind of music.

Jason swung an arm around my shoulders as a way of giving his greetings, but someone standing to my right pushed it off before I could react.

Jason laughed, putting his hands up into the air at right angles. "God, Percy, aren't you a possessive little shit."

Percy frowned with a glare in Jason's direction, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me toward him. "Well,  _excuse me_ ," Percy snapped. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Sorry about that. That sounded really mean."

Jason chuckled, shaking his head and putting his arms down by his sides. "It's fine. Just didn't know you were so possessive. It's pretty amusing actually."

Percy rolled his eyes and huffed, "Gee,  _thanks._  I  _definitely_  want to be known as possessive."

Jason laughed once more. "Sorry, sorry. You weren't this possessive with Annabeth."

Percy shrugged. "Maybe I just love Nico more, that's why."

" _Aw_ , how cute." A sarcastic, feminine voice said behind us. She definitely didn't sound very sincere.

All three of us whirled around to find that cashier girl at the movie theater. Her name was Caly as I recall. Didn't Annabeth say her full name was Calypso?

"And, who are you?" Jason raised a challenging eyebrow. His voice suddenly turned hard, and his electric blue eyes seemed more ice blue. "From what I recall, we didn't ask for your opinion."

"Well, sorry," Caly's cold demeanor seemed to have disappeared and was replaced with a cheerful, joking girl as she smiled in apology. "Did I make it sound mean?"

Jason didn't seem convinced, and Percy's grip on my waist tightened. What was even going on?

Jason sighed, but I could still tell that his guard was up. "Yeah, kind of. Sorry for sounding mean as well." He offered a small smile, but since I was the king of all liars and fake smiles, I could obviously tell that his smile was fake.

Caly turned to Percy, bouncing on the soles of her feet like a little, energetic child. "Can I talk to you?" She asked enthusiastically.

Percy parted his lips, and before any sound came out, someone dragged both of us away.

"Hey!" I yelled, only to whirl around and find Annabeth. We were by the snack tables, and the food would've looked good if I had a bigger appetite.

Annabeth offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"Why are there so many apologies today?" I muttered.

Annabeth cocked her head to the side in confusion, but she didn't question it.

Jason walked by and stopped when he saw us. He grinned and decided to join. His cold and mean demeanor that he had before seemed as if it never existed. Why does everyone seem to know what's happening but me?

"Hey, Jason!" Annabeth greeted, placing her hand on one hip and placing her weight on her right leg.

"Hey, Annabeth," Jason replied with a grin. He turned to Percy. "You okay?"

Percy nodded with a smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, totally fine. Hey, did that sound like sarcasm? Because it wasn't meant to be." He chuckled.

Jason shook his head with a chuckle. "Not really. But thanks for clarifying."

A slow song started to play on the speakers; thank the gods I was really starting to get tired of that song that repeatedly said "Bang bang." Wasn't that song sang by three different girls?

"Piper said she wanted to dance with me when a slow song starts, so I'll see you guys later," Jason stated. After we bid him our farewells, he left to go find Piper.

"You guys should dance too," Annabeth insisted.

"What about you and Luke?" I arched an eyebrow.

Annabeth shrugged. "Luke went to get some food for me. That was when I dragged you guys over here. Maybe I'll dance with him later, but I was never actually good at dancing." Annabeth chuckled in embarrassment.

"I'm probably not that good at dancing," I added. "My mother and my sister were, but I've never tried."

"Then maybe you should try now." Percy smirked at me, and before I could even react, he dragged me onto the dance floor. I could hear Annabeth's soft laughter from behind me.

We weren't exactly in the middle of the dance floor, but we weren't on the very outside of it. Maybe Percy took mercy on me and decided on a spot to drag me to that wouldn't attract so much attention.

He placed his hands on my hips and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Just follow my lead, okay?" Percy offered a comforting smile.

"Alright," I answered, "just don't complain if I step on you, which has a very high chance of happening."

Percy chuckled. "Oh please; I bet your mom's genes of awesome dancing passed on to you."

I frowned, knitting my eyebrows together. "Percy, I don't think it works that way."

Percy smirked. "Apparently it does. You haven't stepped on me at all."

I raised an eyebrow, but I finally realized that Percy got me to dance with him without me even noticing.

"What the fuck, how did you do that?" I blinked confusingly up at Percy. I could feel my steps go in sync with Percy's, and I didn't even know it until he brought it up.

Percy laughed. "Distracting people helps, you know?"

"No, apparently I didn't know." I frowned at the ground where I could faintly see my perfectly polished black shoes move as if someone from far away was controlling me.

One of Percy's hands left my hip and lifted my chin up until I made eye contact with Percy's gorgeous emerald green eyes.

He smiled down at me. "Apparently not."

He caressed my cheek and we stopped dancing once the song ended. We heard clapping from the people watching from the sidelines, and I could've sworn I heard Jason's voice from amidst the clapping yell, "Get a room, Percico!" And Leo's voice followed: "They already have, Superman!" But, it was pretty faint and I didn't know if I was hearing things or not.

Percy leaned down and kissed me passionately on the lips. My eyes widened in surprise, but I soon responded. I pressed my body closer to Percy's as our kiss lasted for what seemed like centuries.

We pulled apart for air since our lungs, unfortunately, couldn't hold infinite air, and we couldn't breathe out of our asses like turtles.

He rested his forehead against mine, closing his eyes and smiling.

"I love you, Nico," he whispered to me.

I glanced up as Percy opened his eyes, revealing emeralds shining from the disco ball above our heads.

"I love you too, Percy." I genuinely smiled up at me as Percy dove in for another kiss.


	44. Event Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: "'Cause, Baby, You're A Firework!"  
> Date: Tuesday, July 4th  
> From: Loving Healer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Uh, I don't own the title of this event. Katy Perry does. Or, whoever writes her songs. I could probably check on Pandora if I wanted to, but, ehhh. 
> 
> WARNING: Woop woop. Blame Nico for trying to see what would happen if he moved on Percy's lap. Not me; I'm just the author who thinks of everything in this story. Ha...ha...haa...I'm not being sarcastic, psh, what are you talking about? (Sorry once again if it's bad. I suck at writing these kinds of scenes, but I include them anyway.)

"Hey, Nico! You know what day it is today?"

I groaned, shoving my face deeper into my pillow. "Everyone bother Nico day?"

The room suddenly got brighter, and I felt a dip in my bed. I refused to look up; I was god damn tired and it was finally Summer!  
I heard a scoff. "No, it's not. Why would you think that?"

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see it. "Gee, I fucking wonder why."

A deep chuckle rang out. "You're so grumpy, Neeks." He started shaking my body violent; damn those muscles from football and swimming. "Come on, get up! I want to do something today."

"Go do it yourself," I grumbled, my voice getting muffled by my pillow.

Percy sighed. "Seriously? Come on, Neeks."

"Can you stop calling me that?"

"If I stop, will you get up."

There was a long pause before I replied, "Yeah."

"Then, get up, Nico! Let's go!" He exclaimed, jumping onto my bed like a little child and pushing me onto the floor, which was followed by a loud  _thump._

"Ow, Percy, what the fuck." I sat up and rubbed the side of my head that collided with the bedroom floor.

He embraced me from behind and gently kissed the spot on my head that I was previously rubbing. "Sorry," he whispered into my ear. His warm breath sent shivers down my spine, but it was a good feeling.

I leaned back into his embrace and yawned tiredly while Percy buried his nose into my messy hair from sleeping-not like my hair was always messy.

"So, what did you want to do today?" I asked him, but no response actually came from the boy hugging me from behind.

I frowned and turned around so that I was kneeling on the ground and my whole body faced him. "Percy?" I tried again.

When I finally got his attention, he blinked blankly as if unsure of what just happened, and he smiled sheepishly at me when his brain finally processed what just happened.

"Sorry, again," he apologized with a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes at him. "What were you thinking about?"

He lifted my shirt up slightly and began to rub my sides underneath the shirt-a habit he started to do. "Just thinking about a certain boy."

I rolled my eyes again for about the third time. "That boy better be me."

He chuckled and leaned in, pecking me on the lips. "Who else would it be? Obviously the one in front of me."

I shrugged. "I wouldn't happen to know that."

He sighed and shook his head. Then his eyes brightened like he suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah, I forgot! Do you want to go out with me?"

I frowned again, furrowing my eyebrows. "Percy, I thought we were already going out."

He blinked blankly at me again before chuckling. "I know that! I meant if you wanted to go somewhere with me today. Today's July 4th after all. It's Independence Day."

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

He smiled delightly. "Great! Let's go get ready. And by the way, your morning breath doesn't smell so bad."

I raised an eyebrow. " _Uh_ , thanks?"

He smirked. "No problem. Now, let's go." He stood up and offered his hand to me, and I gladly obliged as I placed my smaller hand into his and he pulled me up from the ground.

* * *

It was pretty hot outside for Manhattan. Most of the people in the borough had a day off from work to celebrate Independence Day with their family or whatnot. The cons of not having a family.

I mentally shook my head, unconsciously holding Percy's hand tighter.  _This isn't the time to be thinking of that, Nico!_  I reminded myself.

Percy looked at me from the corners of his eyes worriedly. "Hey, are you okay?"

I slightly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Sure?" Percy asked again.

I quickly whipped my head toward him and pecked him on the cheek. "Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled reassuringly up at him.

Percy was speechless, and his face had a tint of red in it. I loved it when I made Percy super flustered. He parted his lips to speak, but nothing came out.

"Percy?" I removed my free hand from my front pocket and waved it in front of his face.

Percy blinked and cleared his throat while I placed my hand back into my jean pocket.

"S-sorry. Damn it, I stuttered." He sighed as the corner of my lips tugged up into an amused smile.

He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "I just thought you got mad at me for being so nosy and you were gonna slap me." He frowned at no particular place ahead of him.

I raised an eyebrow, looking ahead as well. "Why in the world of fucks would I slap you? As I recall, you're the one that slapped me."

"Hey, you wouldn't understand that you're actually a great guy!" Percy said exasperatedly. He smiled with a chuckle. "Sorry about that. But, it's true."

I rolled my eyes. "Just keep saying that, Percy," I sarcastically responded.

"Do you want me to slap you again?" Percy asked in a joking manner.

I shrugged, glancing back at him. "Whatever you want."

He raised his hand and quickly brought it to my face. But before it made contact with my cheek (I'll admit, I winced, okay?), it stopped softly onto the surface as he turned my face instead and kissed me on the lips.

I blinked momentarily as I realized that one 1) Percy made me, the king of all liars, believe that he was actually going to slap me, 2) we stopped walking who-knows-when, 3) he was kissing me, and 4) people were probably watching us from a distance as the stalkers they are. But, who gives a shit? I certainly don't.

When I (finally) responded to the passionate kiss Percy was giving me, it seemed as if our lips were connected for hours. We finally stopped for air, and I could spot the slightest lust evident in Percy's emerald eyes.

"Nice...slap," I managed after a long silence between us from trying to maintain our breathing to a regular rate.

Percy smirked and swung his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his side. "Right?"

I rolled my eyes as I shoved my other hand into my jean pocket now that both hands were free.

* * *

Percy decided to bring me to a coffee store since he just recently found out that I'm a fan of coffee. Not like a crazy fangirl or anything, but...you know what I mean.

Percy paid for both of our beverages, which I felt extremely bad for. After we received what we ordered, we sat down in a booth against the small store's wall near a giant window in the very back corner.

Of course, I sat on Percy's lap since he said that I was "too far away" if I just sat next to him. I wouldn't say it out loud for Percy's sake, but I felt the slightest erection where I sat, which was obviously Percy's slight erection. It would probably become a bigger erection if I just moved my hips. How funny would that be?

I moved a bit, pretending to adjust my seating when I felt Percy's hands on my hips tighten. Like what I predicted, he became a lot harder than he was before.

"Fuck," Percy moaned quietly so that only I could hear. "Nico, really?" He whined into my ear.

I chuckled. "Yes, really. I just wanted to see what you would do."

He licked the back of my ear while rubbing my sides sensually. "Why do you have to do this to me?"

I grit my teeth tightly together as Percy lifted my shirt and started to rub my now-hardened nipples. "Percy, we're in god damn public."

"We've had sex in the public restrooms, right?" He chuckled deeply in my ear, making my own erection come on. How did anyone in the coffee shop not see us do this? Maybe that's why Percy picked the booth in the far corner away from the other people.

"Percy, just let me drink my coffee." I picked up the plastic coffee cup but almost dropped it when Percy squeezed my oncoming erection.

"Don't we need to take care of something first?" I didn't need to look to know that he was smirking.

"Fuck you, Percy." I sighed deeply.

"Actually, I-"

"Don't even, Percy," I interrupted before he could finish. I could hear him quietly laugh to himself from behind. Afterwards, he immediately dragged me to the bathroom.

* * *

**(Look, a Rated R sign. Aren't I nice?)**

* * *

He closed and locked the wooden door-how convenient that there was a lock on there. He pushed me onto the toilet seat and began stripping both of us until we were both butt-naked.

He gripped my shoulders and kneeled in front of me and immediately began to torture my already-hardened nipples from Percy's 'secretive' rubbing from before. I let out a moan as Percy rolled his tongue along the hardened bud.

One of his hands left my shoulders and began to torture my other nipple. He rubbed and squeezed it at the same time he sucked and slowly licked the other. My hands flew to Percy's black hair as I moaned again, tugging on it.

His other hand holding my shoulder moved its placement as well so that it wrapped around my flaccid cock.

He stood up, leaned downward so that his face was mere centimeters from mine, and forced his tongue into my mouth, exploring the warmth of my mouth as he pumped continuously at my manhood. My hands still tugged at Percy's hair as I groaned, letting Percy do whatever he wanted with my mouth. Pre-come leaked onto Percy's energetic hand.

He released my penis and I whined into his mouth. I could feel his lips turn into a smirk as his tongue returned to his own mouth. He stepped closer to me and began rubbing his penis against my own, and I moaned loudly from the pleasurable feeling. From then on, I was pretty sure they heard us, well,  _me_ specifically.

His tongue went inside my mouth again as his hand gripped my manhood and moved it against his. My legs shook with desire, and I could feel the pre-come from both of us rub along the tip. My hands felt numb from gripping onto Percy's hair so tightly.

He lifted me up from the hips onto his lap as he took my spot on the toilet seat. It all happened so rapidly, but the next thing I knew, my manhood was being rubbed once more against Percy's. I gasped and grounded against Percy's cock, who moaned deeply against my lips, his tongue delving deeper into my mouth.

Both of his hands were on my hips to keep me steady, but the hand on my left hip made its way onto my penis, rubbing the tip of it and spreading pre-come everywhere while still rubbing it against his cock. I couldn't contain any more moans, and they all flowed out between my lips one after another.

I grounded into his penis harder than before when Percy began to lick my nipple again. Both of our bodies were slick with sweat, but that seemed to have been the only lubricant available for our rubbing cocks.

I yelled his name as I began to see white, releasing come all over Percy. Percy did the same; he moaned my name and released himself all over my stomach.

* * *

**(Woah, did that Rated R sign just disappear?)**

* * *

We stayed in those positions for a while as we attempted to catch our breath.

Percy broke the silence when he looked up into my eyes and chuckled. "Now you've got to help me clean this up."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

He smiled delightfully down at me. "Thanks."

I shrugged exhaustedly. "No problem."

* * *

It was night time now. No, we did not do "it" until it was night time. I just skipped the whole cleaning part and the part where we came out of the bathroom and some homeless people were sipping on our coffee. I also skipped the part where I bought our drinks again since Percy bought them last time, and we went to walk around aimlessly until it was dark outside.

Percy brought me to a park that I had never been to, but it was very grassy, and there were a lot of people there-mostly couples.

"Why are we here?" I questioned him, looking up at Percy curiously.

Percy glanced at me and smiled sincerely. "They shoot fireworks off here. The best part is that it's free so a lot of people come here to watch them."

I nodded, looking back at the many crowds of people in front of me. "How cool. I don't remember ever seeing a firework."

Percy stared at me incredulously. "Seriously?! You haven't seen a firework in your  _life?!_ "

I knit my eyebrows together. "I don't remember. My parents were mostly busy doing..." I frowned and winced in disgust. " _Now_  I know what they were doing in their room the whole day."

Percy laughed, a beautiful melody to my ears. Cheesy, right?

"Wow, Nico, I found out where you get those hormones," Percy teased.

I punched him playfully in the arm. "Oh please; you shouldn't be talking."

Percy slightly laughed. "That is very true."

I nodded, a small smile playing on my lips. " _Very_ true," I emphasized.

Percy picked a spot on the ground on a slope so that we had a better view of everything below us and above us. There weren't many people on the slope since it was so far from anyone else, but we both didn't mind being my everyone else.

"So, when do they start the fireworks?" I asked, throwing my head back and looking at the dark sky.

"When it's dark," Percy answered, "which is why I took you here when it became dark. A lot of people come here earlier for better seats since it's 'first come, first serve.' But, honestly, I don't really care where I sit as long as I could see the fireworks in the sky just fine." He laid back onto the grass and I followed suit.

He turned his head toward me, intertwining his fingers with mine. "Do you mind sitting here?" He asked for reassurance.

I shook my head. "Not really. I don't like being around people anyway, and it's quieter than over there." I gestured with my free hand the crowd of people that were a bit farther from us. "And at least I could see the sky. That's all you need to see for fireworks, right?"

Percy smiled and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much.

The first firework exploded in the air followed a loud  _bang_. It was so bright and colorful; the firework said: Happy Independence Day. And underneath the statement, it said: July 4th. The words were said in red, white, and blue, of course since it stood for the colors on the American Flag.

Songs started to play so that the booming coming from the fireworks and the chatter among the people wouldn't be the only source of sound. It was a song called  _Fireworks_  by...was her name Katy Perry? I was not very good with names, as you could see. Especially since I hadn't heard this song in forever. It had probably been years since I had last heard the song.

"Hey, Nico," Percy turned to me again, taking his eyes off the colorful and now bright sky. When I glanced at him, his eyes reflected the different colors that went up into the sky in various colors, and it was so gorgeous.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Baby, did you know that you're a firework?" Percy smirked at the reference he made to the song that currently played in the background. Percy and I had to talk pretty loudly over the sounds of the fireworks exploding in the sky, so it was hard to hear him, even though we were so close to each other.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't call me a firework. Exploding into a bunch of bright colors is not on my list of what to do before I die.  _Especially_ since there are  _bright_  colors. I'd prefer being a black firework, thank you."

Percy laughed. "Then, what do you want me to call you?"

I frowned thoughtfully before I said, "Call me sexy." I smiled in amusement.

Percy chuckled. "Okay, sexy."

I laughed. "You know I was joking, right?"

Percy shrugged, squeezing my hand. "Yeah, but, the name really suits you."

I arched an eyebrow. "Oh, does it?"

He nuzzled his nose against mine. "Yeah it does, sexy. Happy fourth of July."

I smiled and pecked the tip of his nose. "Happy fourth of July, Percy."


	45. Event Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Where They First Met  
> Date: Sunday, July 23rd  
> From: Loving Healer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Owning the video game Destiny would be hella awesome. Yeah well...that sucks for me. I also don't own Miles Square Park.

Percy and I were on the couch in the living room. We were playing a video game with the name of Destiny-well, I was playing  _Destiny._   _Destiny_ is a first-person shooter game. It was only one player, so Percy insisted that I should play since Percy has played a bunch of times already.

I sat in his lap with his arms securely around my waist, his chin rested on the shoulder to my right. I was so concentrated on trying to get rid of all the Fallen in the video game that I didn't notice that Percy started to talk.

"Sexy?" Percy tried again. He's been calling me by the nickname "sexy" every since that time on the fourth of July when I was kidding and told him to call me by that nickname.

I paused after I ducked behind a broken column. "Yeah?"

I could feel Percy's jaw move with each syllable he pronounced.

"I was just thinking...Do you remember where we first met?" Percy asked me, his voice right next to my ear.

I had to rack my brain to remember. Man, that felt like forever ago. Actually, it  _was_ forever ago.

"We were at a park," I stated, finally remembering the time when I went to the park every single time I had free time to myself to play my violin. "I remember exactly which park it was. I went there almost every day." The grip on my (Percy's) PS3 remote loosened in my hands as my gaze found the floor as I briefly relived those memories.

"Really?" Percy sounded genuinely surprised. "Every day?"

" _Almost_ every day," I corrected him.

"I think I went there because Annabeth wanted to go on a date with me to a park, but we both decided to go with all of our friends," Percy said, attempting to recall the memory.

I nodded, my eyes still on the polished, wooden floor. "Yeah, I went there whenever I could to escape from the rest of the world and play my violin."

Percy briefly squeezed me tighter in his embrace. "I don't want you to escape from the world anymore." He kissed my temple. "I want you to stay in this world with me."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"No problem, Sexy." He chuckled, placing his head back upon my shoulder. "Do you remember what that park was called?"

I unpaused the game and continued to wipe out the Fallen. "Of course I do. I went there pretty much every day. It was called  _Miles Square Park."_

" _Miles Square Park,_  huh?" Percy repeated. "Why don't we go there again? I'd love to see the place where we first met each other." I could tell he began to focus on my video game since he became quiet.

"Unless you're too absorbed in  _Destiny_  then we can go another time," Percy added.

I shook my head. "We can go now if you want."

Percy chuckled, pointing at the objective at the side of the screen. "You sure you don't want to beat up the Hive first?"

I frowned at the objective at the side of the screen. "Fine," I mumbled, and Percy laughed as he watched me complete the last objective before we would go.

...

Percy looked up the directions to  _Miles Square Park_ on the internet. Once he finally found them and somehow g memorized it in about three seconds, he drove us to the park without getting lost.

We unbuckled our seatbelts and stepped out of the navy blue car while Percy locked the doors with his car keys. When I got a good and clear look at the park, I immediately remembered it all. I remembered where the little tree where I always sat was, I remembered which area of the park we were by, and I remembered the grassy and fresh smell the park emitted from all of the greenery.

"This was definitely the park where we met," Percy stated as he took my hand into his bigger one and led me into the park.

I chuckled. "Do you even know where you're taking us?" I asked him once our feet touched the grass.

He stopped and turned, giving me a sheepish smile. "Not really."

I rolled my eyes, a small smile upon my lips. "Of course you don't know. I've been here a lot, like I said before, so come on." I tugged on the hand holding onto mine to indicate that I would be taking the lead now.

He nodded, his smile still intact. "Thanks, Sexy."

I sighed with a frown as I began to direct him to the little tree that I used to sit at. I wonder how much it's grown since I was last here with it. "It's almost been a month since you've called me by that nickname but I've still haven't gotten used to it."

Percy laughed from behind me. "You'll get used to it soon enough, Sexy. Maybe I should just say it more so that you could get used to being calling you 'sexy' faster."

I rolled my eyes for the millionth time. "Please don't; that'd just get annoying."

Percy laughed once more. "Very true. I'd probably be  _super_ tired of the nickname if I used it more. The only time I ever say 'Nico' now is when we're having sex."

" _Uh_." I didn't even know how to respond to how casually Percy just said that in public on a Sunday where people probably just got out of church.

Percy chuckled. "I just wanted to see how you would react. Sorry."

I sighed exasperatedly. "You don't need to apologize; that's just how you are. I honestly didn't even know how to respond to that. But, now that I think of it, that  _is_ the only time you call me by 'Nico' now."

Percy squeezed my hand. "Thanks. It is pretty true, huh?"

I chuckled. "A very weird truth, but the truth it is."

I stopped in my tracks and Percy almost bumped into me. He released my hand and instead put it into the back pocket of my jeans. In short, he was practically grabbing my ass. But hey, it's not like I'm going to complain about it.

Percy scanned the area, and a grin appeared on his face. "This is definitely the place."

I smiled at the memory of Percy and I meeting face-to-face for the first time.

"That was such beautiful music you just played, by the way." Percy's first words that were directed toward me echoed in my head.

"Uh, what…are you doing here?" It was probably the stupidest first sentence that I had ever said to anyone-especially my crush-but I had said it anyway.

"Well," Percy had drawled, a small, friendly smile was on his face that day, "I was hanging out here at this park with some of my other friends after school, and we happened to hear your music. My friends aren't really a big fan of classical music, but my step-dad got me into it since he listens to it around the house all the time and whatnot. So, I decided to follow the music and see who was playing it. You play the violin really well. My step-father would love meeting you, you know?" Percy's smile had become wider. "I'm—"

"Percy Jackson," I had finished, and I remembered how perplexed Percy was.

I snapped out of the memory when Percy began to talk. "You know, that really was such beautiful music you played." I heard Percy say next to me. He glanced down at me and squeezed my hand, giving me a lop-sided grin.

I scoffed. "I can't believe you remember what you said to me that day. You know, I was just thinking about that."

He chuckled. "Well, why wouldn't I remember? Meeting your boyfriend for the first time is really a memorable moment, isn't it?

I shrugged with a small smile. "Yeah, I guess."

He bent down and kissed the corner of my lips. "I'm never going to forget this place." He whispered to me, his warmth breath spreading along my lips.

I smiled at him. "I'm never going to forget this place either. I never want to."

Percy chuckled deeply. "Me too."

He leaned in and gave me a passionate kiss, and I responded back just as equally.


	46. Event Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Doctor di Angelo  
> Date: Tuesday, August 1st  
> From: HuntersofArtemis (Wattpad)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Free-For-All and Domination, games within Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. All the details described for Domination are also , I don't think I want to. I suck at Domination...Also, TOKEN_theBONG is an actual person. I hate that guy! Stop being so good at Call of Duty, Token...

I was on Percy's couch playing on his PS3. Percy was out with Jason going who-knows-where, but I didn't want to go. Percy and Jason attempted to get me to go with them, but staying on Percy's couch playing  _Domination_  on  _Call of Duty: Black Ops 2_ sounded  _way_ more tempting.

My character crouched on the ground as I attempted to reclaim Bravo-the flag that's always placed in the very center of the stage. It's always the hardest one too, especially since TOKEN_theBONG and TOKEN_theBONG(2) were out there somewhere.

When the timer was about to stop, which means that I have succeeded in claiming the flag, the doorbell rang.

I raised an eyebrow and made my character run and hide onto a balcony in my team's base. I couldn't pause the game since it was online with other people, so I left the game there as I went to open the door.

When I swung open the door, the first person I saw was Jason, and then I found Percy leaning against him.

"Uh, hello?" I greeted awkwardly.

"Nico?" Jason questioned in bewilderment.

Well shit, Jason didn't know I lived with Percy because of my family.

Percy chuckled, smiling sheepishly. "We'll explain it to you later, Jason."

"Then, will you explain why you need Jason's help to stand?" I questioned with an eyebrow raised.

Jason sighed exasperatedly as if the incident was a stupid one. Apparently, I was correct.

"Percy and I went to a park," Jason began to explain. "We were tossing the football back and forth, and I accidentally tossed the football over the stone steps leading up to where we were. Percy over here," he nudged Percy in the side of the rib, "decided to be stupid and run backward to try and catch it."

"Hey!" Percy exclaimed, clearly offended. "You're the one that threw it over there."

"Yeah, sure I did." Jason shrugged nonchalantly. "But you don't run backward when trying to catch a football."

"Well,  _I'm sorry_." Percy pouted.

I rolled my eyes at their bickering nonsense. "Just come inside and I'll see what I can do."

I stepped to the side to allow them room for both of them to step through the doorway and into the living room.

Percy chuckled when Jason was helping him lay down. "Of course you would play  _Call of Duty_  when I'm away."

I rolled my eyes once more and walked toward Percy, scanning him up and down. "What happened when Percy fell down the stairs?"

"There were only like three stairs, so Percy managed to sprain his ankle," Jason answered.

I nodded, examining his ankles with a frown. One ankle definitely looked abnormally bigger than the other.

"Thanks for bringing him over, Jason," I said.

Jason shrugged. "No problem." He glanced between Percy and me and said; "I'll just be going now. Don't hurt yourself more, Percy, I know it's tempting when you're alone with your boyfriend." He winked before shutting the front door behind him, leaving us as flustered as ever.

I sighed, shaking my head the make the hue of red on my face disappear. "You can play if you want," I said once I found Percy eying the PS3 remote.

Percy laughed. "You know me so well, sexy." He plucked the remote from off the ground and began to a join a game of  _Free-For-All_.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Looks like I have to bring my healing skills back now. I abandoned them ever since my father stopped beating me up.

"Hey," I began, catching Percy's attention.

Percy hummed in acknowledgment, turning his head to look at me.

"Does your ankle hurt at all?" I interrogated him.

Percy shook his head. "No, it doesn't. But looking at it is so gross. My ankles are two different sizes!"

I rolled my eyes. I seemed to do that a lot.

"That's wonderful, Percy," I answered sarcastically, making Percy chuckle.

"You better not be standing when I come back," I shot him a warning glare.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I know."

I made my way into the kitchen to get an ice pack and wrapping a towel around it so it wouldn't be too cold. When I came back, Percy was attempting to get up from the couch.

"Perseus fucking Jackson," I said between gritted teeth and Percy froze.

He turned to me, holding up an innocent smile. "Sorry, sorry. I just...feel so  _helpless_ just laying here, you know?"

"Well, you can't help it." I walked over to him and he laid down on the couch, resting his sprained ankle on top of a pillow Jason set up. I set the ice pack onto the ankle, and Percy winced.

"Did that hurt?" I asked in a surprisingly calm voice, but on the inside, I was panicking as if I was trapped in the deepest depths of Hell.

Percy shook his head, his body immediately relaxing. His eyes met mine and he sent me a reassuring smile. "It was just...surprisingly cold I guess."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such an idiot."

"I am  _your_ idiot." Percy grinned.

"I can't believe you're in such a good mood with a sprained ankle." I sighed exasperatedly.

Percy chuckled. "It takes a lot for me to  _not_ be happy, sexy. Especially since I'm with you."

My face heated up, so I turned my head away, bowing my head low so that my bangs could cover the redness on my face. "That was so cheesy."

Percy laughed. "I didn't even notice. But, hey, it's true! Even if it is cheesy." He chuckled.

He attempted to sit up and winced. "Ow, what the Hell, it didn't hurt earlier."

"It does that sometimes." I shrugged. "It's happened to me before. Sometimes I think the injury wouldn't hurt, but the next thing I know I'm slowly dying from the pain. I'll get you pain-relievers if you want."

Percy denied. "I don't want you doing so much for me. I feel bad."

"Well, I feel horrible that you're injured, so here I am, doing what I can do. I'm going to force you to walk later so your ankle could heal right, just letting you know."

Percy groaned, the back of his head hitting the couch. "This is gonna hurt."

"I bet falling down those stairs hurt," I remarked.

Percy rolled his eyes at me, lifting himself up by his elbows. "I feel like if I move, I'm gonna be screaming in pain the next second."

"Then don't fucking move," I grumbled.

"But I want to see your face," Percy said. "It's weird talking to a ceiling who has the same voice as my boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes, flicking him in the forehead.

"Hey!" Percy whined. "Hello? Injury here!" He gestured wildly to the ankle resting on the pillow.

"Flicking your forehead won't make your ankle any worse." I shrugged. "But next time, Percy, don't walk backward."

Percy laughed. "I was  _running_ backward," Percy corrected in a joking manner.

I knit my eyebrows together. "Percy, that's even worse," I deadpanned.

Percy laughed once more. "Yeah. I realized after I said it. Woops."

" _Woops_ ," I mocked, making Percy chuckle. I got up and moved the ice pack a bit so that it wouldn't freeze up just one spot on his ankle.

Percy grimaced and I tensed. "Sorry, Perce."

Percy smiled reassuringly. "It's fine. I know you're trying to make me feel better. So, I guess I'll just have to live with it."

I sighed and walked back down the couch to where his head was, planting a quick kiss onto his forehead. "This is what you get for running backward."

"Well, it wasn't  _my_ fault there were stairs there!" Percy protested like a little child with a pout.

I rolled my eyes for the bajillionth time of the day. "You and your excuses."

Percy chuckled. "Yeah."

I glanced down at his ankle on the opposite side of the couch. "You ready to walk again?"

" _What?_ Oh,  _Hell_ no," Percy rejected.

"Well, that sucks," I put bluntly. "Get up."

I pulled on Percy's arm, but he pulled me down and kissed me quickly on the lips. When I pulled back from shock, he smirked.

"Sorry, just had to." He chuckled, his smirk still intact. "It turns me on when you're taking care of me instead."

"Taking care of you as in what I'm doing now or when you have an erection?"

Percy laughed a bit harder this time. "Both actually."

I rolled my eyes. "You are truly an idiot."

Percy grinned. "And, I am truly  _your_ idiot."


	47. Event Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Happy Birthday, Percy!  
> Date: Friday, August 18th  
> From: Loving Healer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I bet you guys are tired of my Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 disclaimers, huh? I wonder how many of these I have. Well, obviously, I don't own this game (although I wish I did, how awesome would that be! Black Ops 2 is my favorite video game of all time!) Andddd, the AN-94, the MP7, and the RPG are real guns that you can use in the game. Ballistic knives are also used in this game. The places Drone and Turbine are also real.

Percy didn't want some huge birthday party (that brought down Leo's mood), so Percy just wanted to hang out with all of his friends at his house, so that's what we did.

People still brought presents no matter how many times he denied the idea. He was about to scold us for it until he found out that  _I_  had a present for him. Percy shut up about the whole presents ordeal ever since he saw me holding a box for him. He really wanted to know what was inside that box.

The people that Percy usually hung out were there: Katie, Miranda, Will, Beckendorf, Butch, Silena, Jason, Hazel, Leo, Frank, Malcolm, Reyna, Piper, Michael, Jake, and Kayla. Somehow,  _everyone_ that we planned to invite managed to make it. Even Annabeth decided to come; she told me she finally got over the break-up, which was good. But, I could tell that there was still an awkwardness between them whenever they talked without other people involved in the conversation.

Sally was in the kitchen baking a huge cake with blue icing and light blue frosting-so white that it almost looked white, but it had a hue of blue in it that anyone could identify. Being blind does not count, you super technical people.

Everyone was in Percy's room, just talking really. Leo and Jason were playing  _Call of Duty: Black Ops 2,_  but that was about it. Annabeth sat to my right on the ground while Percy sat above me on the couch with Silena and Will. I sat on the floor with Annabeth while both of us leaned against the couch.

"Even if we didn't have a huge party like Nico's party,  _Call of Duty_  is still good." Leo smirked without taking his eyes off of his bottom half of the screen. Of course, Leo of all people would go into a battle with an RPG

Jason rolled his eyes while one-shotting a guy with his AN-94. "What about  _Call of Duty_  at a huge party?"

"That'd be even  _better_!" Leo exclaimed, launching the deadly bullet of the RPG at three different people. "Oh, Hell yeah, baby! I got a triple kill!"

"I'd rather play without so many people," Malcolm piped in. "I wouldn't be able to focus with a bunch of loud, partying people around me."

Leo waved his statement away. "That's because you're a sniper! Being a sniper takes  _so_  much concentration."

"This is probably the only thing you can be smart in, Leo." Kayla giggled.

"Pretty much." Leo shrugged. "Give me a final exam on  _Call of Duty_  and it'd be the only test I can manage to get a 100 on!"

The game ended with the score on the screen: 75 to 43, and at the top, in green, it stated:  _VICTORY_.

"Wow," Jason breathed. "I got 27 kills at  _Turbine_. Is that even possible?"

"Dude, I got 19 kills with an RPG!" Leo boasted. "This is the  _shit!_ Woohoo!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and held out her dominant hand. "Bet I could get more."

"Yeah, right," Leo sarcastically replied, handing her his remote. "Let's see if you can get more than  _19_  kills at  _Turbine_."

"Alright then." Annabeth smirked, voting to go to  _Turbine_ again. "I'm going to get 20 kills or more at  _Turbine_."

" _Hah!_ This is gonna be amusing." Leo chuckled, leaning back in the one-seated couch.

Jason rolled his eyes at the challenge, scanning his eyes amongst all of us. "Does anyone else want to play?"

"I can play." Will shrugged, and Jason handed the remote to him. Will used the MP7; a gun that I didn't like, but I never had a reason.

"You know," Butch started, beginning a conversation, "it's weird to think that we'll be seniors in three weeks or so."

"Don't forget Nico!" Silena exclaimed, throwing her arm around my shoulders. I only rolled my eyes in response.

"Oh yeah," Jake said. "Percy, what are you and Nico gonna do when you graduate?"

Percy and I stared at each other for about a full ten minutes or so.

He smiled sheepishly. "We never really talked about it. But, all I know is that I don't want a dorm."

"Really?" Jake asked. "Why not?"

Percy shrugged. "Well, maybe I can convince my mom and Paul to get me an apartment for me and Nico. Then I'd be able to see him every time I come home from school."

" _Aw,_ " Katie cooed. "I didn't think you could be so romantic, Percy."

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me about it."

Percy laughed, nudging me with his foot. "Hey! I can be romantic."

"Yeah, like that one time you had sex with him in the public bathroom during our double date." Annabeth chuckled without taking her eyes off the television screen where  _Call of Duty: Black Ops 2_ was displayed.

" _What?!_ " Everyone in the room exclaimed but Percy, Annabeth, and me.

" _Dude_ ," Leo drawled out, "how many times have you given him the D?! Calm your fucking hormones, Percy!"

"Wow, Annabeth." Percy chuckled. "You just  _had_ to say that, huh?"

Annabeth laughed. "I just  _had_ to."

"Woah, okay, slow down there," Jason said. "Nico, you let him have  _sex_ with you in the  _public_ bathroom?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Just shut up." Percy laughed at my own response.

"I do  _not_ want to stay on this topic, guys." Hazel looked as if she was about to throw up.

Frank rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Let's just change the topic for Hazel's sake."

Malcolm frowned. "That'd be a pretty good idea."

A phone started to ring and everyone glanced around the room to see where it came from.

Percy chuckled nervously, glancing at his phone's screen. "I'll be right back then." He got up from his seat on the couch, ruffled my hair, and exited through the front door.

I raised an eyebrow when Percy went outside. "Why didn't he just go upstairs to answer it or something?"

Beckendorf shrugged. "Maybe he was too lazy or something? Thought that we might hear his conversation?"

"But, what does Percy have to hide from us for him to go outside and answer the call?" Kayla brought up. "I mean, if he went upstairs, we wouldn't have heard the other person talk, right?"

"Percy has been a bit secretive for a while..." Miranda trailed off as  _VICTORY_ in green appeared on the screen with the score of the game. 75 to 57 the score read.

Piper stared worriedly at the two front double doors that Percy left out of. "I wonder why."

"Look, Leo, 21 kills!" Annabeth laughed while pointing at the screen. I could tell she was doing this just to lighten up the mood. I was pretty thankful for that.

"Oh, yeah? Bet I could get more at  _Drone!_ " Leo cried. "Will, hand me the remote!"

Will rolled his eyes and gave Leo the PS3 remote, who cheered and voted to go to  _Drone_. Annabeth chuckled as pressed on the "select" button on her PS3 remote, and she checked all the medals that she earned in the last game. She seriously got a lot of medals, and she only used the ballistic knives.

"Hey," Kayla piped up, "when is Percy opening his presents?"

Malcolm shrugged. "Probably when we're all gone."

Leo nodded as the next match started. "Yeah, he'll open his presents when we're all gone so that Percy can unwrap Nico's present in private if you guys know what I mean." Leo even wiggled his eyebrows with a smirk across his face without taking his eyes off the television screen.

I kicked him in the side, making Leo yelp. "I am  _definitely not_  going to do that when you all leave."

Leo laughed. "Yes, Nico, we all believe you."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for your consideration," I sarcastically responded.

Percy came in when Annabeth and Leo were arguing as to who won the challenge. Annabeth got more assists but Leo died less.

When the door closes with a click, everyone's heads turned toward Percy and he awkwardly stood there, unsure of what to do with all of the attention. I could also tell that Percy was trying to avoid eye contact with me, which made me narrow my eyes at him.

" _Uh_ , hey?" He awkwardly greeted with an eyebrow raised. "I feel very self-conscious now."

Everyone smiled or chuckled in response, but I could tell that everyone wanted to ask Percy about the phone call.

He walked over and sat down behind me on the floor, wrapping his arms securely around my waist and stretching his legs out on either side of me.

"So, what were you guys talking about?"

Annabeth glanced at Leo with a smirk. "The fact that I won because I had a higher score and he didn't."

"Hey, I died less, you know!" Leo retorted, making everyone laugh.

"I never knew you guys could get along so well." Frank chuckled.

"Hey, shut it, Zhang." Leo smirked in Frank's direction. "I get along with  _everyone!_ "

"Yeah, well, I can disagree with that." Frank chuckled, making everyone in the room either smile in amusement or laugh.

The rest of the day went just like that. And, instead of an actual dinner, Sally invited us into the then kitchen so that we could eat the blue birthday cake for Percy. We sang  _Happy Birthday_  to him, and Leo had the most ridiculous singing ever, and I couldn't even tell if he was serious about his singing or not.

When everyone left at around midnight, Percy and I were the only ones awake in the household.

"So, are you opening the presents now?" I asked, making myself comfortable on the couch.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know if I should open the best one first or save the best for last."

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know which one is the best or not?"

"Well," Percy began to explain, "obviously,  _yours_ is the best."

I chuckled. "You don't even know what I got you."

"So?" Percy shrugged, slightly laughing. "The fact that you got me a present makes it the best." He climbed onto the couch, pulling me onto his lap and wrapping his arms around my waist.

He set his chin upon my shoulder and glanced at me. "So, what did you get me?"

I rolled my eyes and looked at him. "You're not gonna open everyone else's presents?"

Percy shook his head with a smirk, squeezing me tighter into his embrace. "Nah, I can open them tomorrow. I want to know what you got me first so I can sleep better at night. If I don't open your present, the curiosity is gonna kill me and I'm gonna find and open your present while you sleep."

"You do realize sex isn't part of your present?" I added, resulting in Percy laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Percy chuckled, trying to calm his laughs. "So, care to give me my present?"

I rolled my eyes at him and tugged at his arms around me. "If you let me go then I can give it to you."

Percy chuckled and reluctantly released me, and I went to go fetch the box that contained his present.

When he opened it, he actually understood the message from the present, which actually surprised me quite a bit.

It was a beaded necklace that I made. On each bead, it had a picture that displayed a message.

The first black bead had a green trident on it, which stood for Percy. The second bead was the tree that we first met in  _Miles Square Park._ The third bead was a maze, indicating all of the difficult paths that we had to go through to make it to where we were now. The fourth bead was the Empire State Building, saying that we lived in New York. And, the last bead was also black like the first bead, but instead of a green trident for Percy, it had a white skull for me.

I didn't have time to ask him if he liked it or not because he pushed his lips onto mine in a passionate kiss which seemed to make time stop for me.

When his lips left mine, he smiled sincerely at me. "I love it, sexy. Thanks."

I blushed, bowing my head low so he wouldn't see it, but he didn't have to see to know that I was blushing.

I had a faint smile on my face as I looked at my lap. "Thanks."

In the corner of my eyes through my bangs, I could see him examining each and every bead.

"Did you make this? I mean, like did you paint the beads and everything?" Percy questioned me. "Because this looks like some legit necklace you can buy at the store."

I slightly laughed, making Percy smile. "Yeah, I did paint it, thanks, Percy."

"No, thank  _you_ for giving me this." He kissed me again, but it wasn't as long as the last kiss.

We stopped kissing, but his lips were still against mine.

"I love you, Percy; happy birthday."

I could feel Percy's lips turn up into a smile. "I love you too, sexy. And, thanks for this necklace. I truly do love it."


	48. Part 2) Chapter Thirty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ACTUALLY really hate how I ended this story. If I could, I would want to go back and change it and end the story right here. Oh well... I already wrote the whole sequel so might as well keep it...

It was, unfortunately, the start of school now. It was now September, and the ridiculously short Summer was gone. I was a sophomore now at school-tenth grade. The rest of my... _friends_ were seniors, which was twelfth grade-the last grade of high school before you graduate. I still could not believe, that after about a year long, I had  _friends_. Just thinking about that word applied to me seemed almost impossible.

Percy said he had to go do something and left after giving me his goodbyes. It felt weird being alone without Percy, but it only lasted for about a second before Silena came. It was also weird since I usually saw her with someone else accompanying her, like Jason or Beckendorf, but this time she came alone.

"I actually ditched everyone else so that I could go find you!" She giggled.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Was it really worth it to ditch about, like, ten people just so you could find me?"

"Yep!" Silena nodded vigorously, her blonde hair bouncing around. "You  _are_ my best friend, you know."

I sighed exasperatedly with a frown on my face. "I will never understand you."

She laughed. "Well, that's okay. Opposites attract, right? Kind of like you and Percy, really!" She grinned.

Then a question popped into my head. "What if I left you guys?"

Her eyebrows shot up in confusion, her head tilting slightly to her right. "Huh?"

"What if I...moved away or something?" I clarified.

Silena bit her lip, tapping her foot like a musician trying to keep the beat as she looked to the side. Her expression soon brightened and she bounced on the soles of her feet.

"I'd just call you every, every day!" She exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. Typical of Silena.

"Then...what if I just left you guys and tried to ignore you all?"

"Then I would just keep annoying you until you give in and you stop ignoring me!" Silena answered with a big grin.

"What about if I snapped and yelled at you for being so annoying?"

" _Hm_ ," Silena began with a thoughtful look on her face as she tried to picture the scene in her mind, "I'd probably be a bit hurt, leave you alone for the rest of the day, and then come back tomorrow!"

I sighed, furrowing my eyebrows. "I don't get it. Why do you try so hard to be  _nice_ to me?"

Silena's head tilted to the side once more. "Because, Nico, you're my best friend! After everything that, you know, happened to you, I feel kind of bad if I left you alone."

"Well, what if I wanted to be alone?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No one wants to be alone!" Silena strongly retorted.

"I like to be alone." I shrugged.

"But, it's even better being around other people you know, isn't it?' Silena pointed out with a smile.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to admit it."

Silena laughed. "Yay!" She ran up and gave me another one of her football tackles. Wait, I meant hugs.

When she (finally) let me go, I was surprised I still had air in my lungs.

She scanned the area around me. "That reminds me...where's Percy?"

I shrugged. "He said he had to go do something, and then he left."

Silena frowned, knitting her blonde eyebrows. "Did he tell you where he went?"

I shook my head in reply.

" _Hm_ , that's weird," Silena said. "Usually, Percy tells you where he's gonna go, right?"

I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets, the chains that hung by my side rattled against each other.. "I...guess."

"He's been pretty secretive lately, huh?" Silena remarked thoughtfully.

I nodded. "Jason and Annabeth seem to know something about it. At least, I think they do."

Silena's expression brightened once more. "Then, let's go find and ask them!"

I sighed tiredly as Silena linked her arm with mine and dragged me along to who-even-knows-anymore.

We passed by a few people that we knew, such as Hazel, Kayla, and Beckendorf, who got pretty angry for Silena's disappearance. But, who in this fucking planet can stay mad at Silena?

Silena only chuckled, playing with her hair and apologizing. Beckendorf kissed her on the forehead and told her to not do it ever again before leaving.

"Wow," I breathed. "You guys have a pretty good relationship with each other."

Silena smiled shyly. "Really? Thanks, although, you and Percy seem better."

I scoffed. "It hasn't even been a year yet. How long have you guys even been together?"

"Next year in February will be our third year," Silena answered with a blush.

"What the fu-the  _third_  year? Get married already!" I exclaimed, making Silena laugh.

"Well, geez, Nico!" Silena said while trying to stop herself from laughing too hard.

"You know, I'm pretty serious about this." I shrugged. "Like, damn, three years?"

Silena giggled. " _Yes_ , Nico,  _three years_ ," she said slowly as if talking to a child who didn't understand something.

"And, wait, did you say that in February it would be your third year?" I asked for clarification. "Because, if it was, it'd seem like some cheesy shit from a romance novel.  _Especially_ if it was on Valentine's Day." I frowned at her as we continued searching for Jason or Annabeth. "Please don't tell me it was on Valentine's Day."

Silena laughed. " _No_ , it  _wasn't_ on Valentine's Day. Does that make you happy?"

I nodded. "It does. But, are you telling me that because I told you to say that or are you actually serious?"

Silena chuckled. "No, actually, I'm serious about that."

"Was it...a  _day_ after Valentine's Day because Beckendorf didn't want to be cheesy?" I asked with my eyebrows raised.

Silena rolled her eyes and lightly slapped me on the shoulder. "No! It was at the end of February. February 27th to be exact."

I nodded once more. "How cool would it have been if it was on February 29th."

Silena giggled. "Then, that would mean that I would have only two anniversaries if I was dating Beckendorf for eight years."

" _If?_  You mean  _when_ you date him for eight years," I corrected her.

Silena laughed. Well, she was very cheerful today.

"What if I don't date him for eight years?" She asked me, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"I'm pretty sure you guys would last for an eternity," I deadpanned.

Silena rolled her eyes, but she gave in. "Okay, okay, whatever you say. But, what about you and Percy?"

I shrugged. "I don't think we'll last very long," I admitted.

Silena frowned; sadness could be seen in her blue eyes as she furrowed her eyebrows togethe _r_. "Why do you even think that?" She asked quietly.

I sighed with a frown on my face. "Don't know. Everyone that seems to make me happy always ends up leaving."

"Percy would never leave you!" Silena strongly objected.

"Well, why not? There's plenty of better people out there for Percy," I muttered more to myself than her.

"You know, I can see why Percy slapped you." Silena sighed.

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Percy actually told you about that?"

Silena nodded. "Yeah, he did. He becomes really sad whenever you talk horribly about yourself."

I shrugged once again. "Well, I just can't help it. I usually have negative thoughts about myself."

I saw Silena staring sadly at me from the corner of my eyes, but she decided not to say anything, and neither did I.

We unanimously decided to continue with our task in search of Jason or Annabeth, or even both. Both would work.

But, what we found was  _much_ different from what I wanted to find. It seemed to me like it happened in slow-motion, but all in a blur.

I couldn't really register what was going on. I felt a pounding in my head, and it seemed like my heart stopped when I saw Percy kissing Caly.

I was pretty sure Silena screamed, "What the  _fuck_ , Percy!" But, I didn't know if I was hearing things or not; Silena never cursed.

I heard someone calling my name, but I didn't bother listening as I turned and walked away with my head bowed low. Silena-I was guessing-tried to get me back, but I resisted and continued walking away.

I clenched my teeth together as my vision quickly blurred from tears and my hands formed tight fists in my jean pockets.

_Hah, what an idiot I am,_ I scolded myself, now unaware of where I was and what was happening.  _Of course, everything that makes me happy always..._ always _, leaves me. Why..._

_Why am I such an idiot?_


End file.
